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THE 



Wisconsin 



NATIONAL! GUARD. 



BY 
IV. C. COLBRON. 



ITH AN INTRODUCTION Br 



COLONEL CHARLES KING. 



PUBLISHED BY 

KING-FOWLE-McGEE CO. 

MILWAUKEE, WIS. 
1894. 



kO 



<^ 



> 



COPYRIGHTED 1894 

KING- FOWLE-MCGEE CO. 

MILWAUKEE, WIS. 



-"'•' 




Governor George W. Peck, 



COMMANDER-IN-CHIHI-'. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. p agc . 

Organization and History of the Wisconsin National Guard 9 

CHAPTER II. 

The Wisconsin Military Reservation 33 

CHAPTER III. 

Military Liee in Camp 47 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Social Side oe Camp Liee 61 

CHAPTER V. 

Target Practice 67 

CHAPTER VI. 

Active Service of the Wisconsin National Guard 79 

CHAPTER VII. 

The Wisconsin National Guard Association ,s<> 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Government Supervision 95 



8 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IX. Page. 

The Medical Department 99 

CHAPTER X. 

Adjutant-General's and Quartermaster-General's Departments 105 

CHAPTER XI. 
The First Regiment m 

CHAPTER XII. 

The Second Regiment 127 

CHAPTER XIII. 

The Third Regiment 141 

CHAPTER XIV. 
The Fourth Regiment; Battery A and Troop A 157 



INTRODUCTION- 



IN this "labor of love" which Mr. Colbron tenders to the National 
Guard of Wisconsin there is much to command the interest and sym- 
pathy of the citizen soldier. That the early history and the inner his- 
tory of the Guard should be but lightly sketched is something easily 
understood. It was given to but few men to know the story of the 
struggles, the patience, the persistent battling with prejudice, ignorance 
and jealousy which beset the paths of those who, twelve long years ago, 
began the work of transforming an antiquated and undisciplined militia 
into the compact and reliable force it stands to-day. So, too, outside of 
a limited few, little has been told of the preparation for active service 
which enabled the Executive of Wisconsin to strike the resounding blow 
that, crushing Anarchy in our midst, was applauded throughout the 
Nation. 

It is meet, indeed, that the author should revive in these pages the 
tribute so due to the Adjutant-General who took the leadership in the 
long tip-hill and at last triumphant pull. The heat and burden of the 
day of ceaseless toil against every conceivable opposition — some exasper- 
ating, some ludicrous, — were borne by Chapman and the few associated 
with him in that process of "breaking in," and that the Guard stands 
to-day among the very foremost on the records of the War Department 
for discipline, efficiency and readiness for duty is due to the fact that 
the standard set in '82 was that of the regular service, and that from 
that time until now only "regulars" have been accepted as the critics 
and inspectors of the soldiers of the Badger State. 

CHARLES KING, 

Co/one/ W. N. G. 



The Wisconsin National Guard. 



CHAPTER 



ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE W. N. G. 



TIME lias proved that the establishment of 
the National Guard system is one of 
the most valuable institutions of our country. 
The feeling of American citizens since the 
close of the Revolution has uniformly been 
against the maintenance of an immense stand- 
ing army, and we have always been free both 
from the lesser burden of a large army, en- 
listed voluntarily from the people and kept up 
by means of greatly increased taxation and 
an ever-growing national debt, and the larger 
burden of compulsory service as practiced 
among the great military powers of the old 
world. 

In place of all this, even with our coun- 
try torn in two by a civil war of dimensions unprecedented in latter-day history, our 
small standing army, and back of it our now thoroughly trained militia of the differ- 
ent States, has ever been able to uphold the dignity of the Nation and maintain 
peace within its borders. 

There are at the present time, in round numbers, 2,500 of these militia in the 
State of Wisconsin, and it can be said without an undue boast, that in military disci- 
pline, pride in their organization and general appearance they compare favorably 
with the National Guard of any other State, and when called upon in times of need 

have ever shown themselves devoted to their duty and obedient to their officers. 

9 




COMPARING NOTES. 

LIEUT. BUCK. U. S A. GEN. FALK. 



10 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




COL. WILLIAM J. BOY Lie. 
AIDE-DE-CAMP. 



The Roster of the Wisconsin National 
Guard, issued July i, 1894, showed that it con- 
sisted of 189 commissioned officers, 2,352 pri- 
vates, or a total strength of 2,541 men, though 
this has been somewhat increased since that 
time. This strength is made up from four reg- 
iments, having a total of forty companies, one 
troop of cavalry and one battery of artillery. 
In 1S71 the strength of the National Guard of 
this State was 1,789 commissioned officers and 
men in twenty-eight separate companies, armed 
and uniformed at random and having no general 
organization or responsibility one upon the other 
except that they were all after a fashion under 
the Commander-in-Chief, the Governor, through 
his Adjutant-General. In that year, 1871, the 
report of the Adjutant-General is somewhat of a 
curiosity. It includes remarks on the condition 
of the various companies which are almost incredible in this day of perfect organ- 
ization. I quote at random his notations opposite some of the companies : " No 
report; virtually disbanded." "No report; not uniformed; virtually disbanded." 
" No report ; virtually disbanded for want of ordnance." " No report ; not uni- 
formed, armed nor equipped, the State having no equipments." So that it will be 
seen that, although the Roster gave a total strength of 1,789 men, the actual strength 
was not nearly that amount, and the effectiveness of the remainder very much im- 
paired by the lack of proper central organization and equipment by the State. As a 
sample of what the equipments were in that year, as far as arms are concerned, it will 
only be necessary to give a list of the rifles then in possession of the State for use by the 
National Guard. There were 5,165 of them and they consisted of the following varie- 
ties: English carbines, Garibaldi, Belgian, Austrian, Dresden, Jager rifles, old mus- 
kets, Harper's Ferry rifles, old smooth bore muskets, Springfield and Enfield rifles, 
Springfield rifles. In 1892 the State had in its care 2,723 Springfield B. L. rifles, cali- 
bre .45, and 720 calibre .50, 99 Springfield carbines and S53 M. L. muskets. By the 
time this book reaches the hands of its readers the entire National Guard will prob- 
ably be supplied with an entire outfit of the new repeating Krag-Jorgensen rifle, now 
being issued to the army. These facts may in some way give an idea of what the 
National Guard of the State was twenty-three years ago and what it is to-day. 



ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THK W. N. G. 



11 



In connection with the progress made by the National Guard from that time to 
this it is but just to mention that no small part of the credit for placing the National 
Guard of Wisconsin on the high plane where it stands to-day is due to Gen. Chandler 
P. Chapman, for several years Adjutant-General of the State, who took a very lively 
interest in the work and devoted a considerable portion of his time to the interests he 
had in charge. Under his care more progress was made than under any of his prede- 
cessors. In his report made September 30, 1 886, Gen. Chapman wrote as follows : 

Our State troops are now approaching such a satisfactory condition in organization, dis- 
cipline and instruction, that the same proportionate improvement cannot reasonably be 
expected from year to year in the future as in the past. 

That statement was probably correct. There was not so much to be done, but it 
cannot be denied that from 1890 to the present time the National Guard of Wisconsin 
has made some gigantic strides forward ami this has been brought about chiefly by 
the realization of Gen. Chapman's one great ambition for the National Guard — that is, 
the establishment of a permanent camping ground for the troops. 

For about ten years the National Guard has received but few setbacks, and the 
march has been almost uniformly forward 
and towards perfection. Thus, in 1892, 
Adjutant-General Doe, at the present time 
Assistant Secretary of War, felt called upon 
to pay the following compliment to the 
National Guard in his report : 

Speaking from an experience of over four- 
teen years' service in the Wisconsin State mili- 
tary force, I am much gratified to be able to 
state that there never has been a time in the 
history of the State when its National Guard 
was so well disciplined, so thoroughly reliable, 
and in general efficiency so nearly approached 
the regular army standard as it does at pres- 
ent. It should be a matter of congratulation 
to the citizens of our State that so many men 
and officers can be found willing to submit to 
the numerous sacrifices inseparable from ser- 
vice in the National Guard when they receive 
so little in return. 

From that time to this the progress 

. . COL. GEORGE W. I'ECK.Jk. 

has been more in little things ; the big im- aide-de-camp. 





Brigadier-General Otto H. Falk. 



ADJUTANT AND INSPECTOR-GENERA!,, 



ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE W. N. G. 



13 



provements had been made. The military reservation has been improved from year 
to year, military discipline has been strengthened, provisional companies have been 
abolished and everything that conflicts with a uniform body of serviceable troops has 
been relegated to the past. 

In 1853 appeared the first report ever made by an Adjutant-General of Wiscon- 
sin; William L. Utley held the office at the time. His report contains little of interest 
in a history of the National Guard as it was principally devoted to the general militia. 
He, however, makes incidental mention of four independent uniformed companies that 
existed in Milwaukee at the time. They were : Washington Guards, Capt David 
George; Milwaukee City Rifles, Capt. Henry Miller ; City Dragoons, Capt. Henry 
Nunnemacher; Milwaukee City Guards, Capt. John Jinnings. The expenses of the 




INSPECTING A COMPANY. 



Adjutant-General's office he mentions as being $32 for the preceding year. During 
the two years following quite a number of volunteer companies were organized, but 
were for the most part discouraged before much was accomplished on account of the 
lack of arms, the State having only enough to supply scantily the companies then 
in existence. This evident desire on the part of many citizens to form organized 
companies urged Adjutant-General McManman, in 1855, to issue an appeal for the 
support of the volunteers. He said : 

They are volunteers in the strictest application of the term Would it not 

be a wise and judicious policy to foster and encourage this main arm of our dependance by 
making more ample provision for securing the highest possible degree of military science and 
discipline throughout their ranks? Provisions should be made for annual encamp- 

ments, inspections and reviews of the voluntary militia of the State. * The volun- 



14 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




INSPECTION BY LIEUT. BUCK, U. S. A. 



teer companies of our State are re- 
garded not only as the pride of our 
citizens, but as an ornament to 
our State. They are commanded 
by men of distinguished military 
ability. 

In the fall of 1855 he vis- 
ited Milwaukee, inspected the 
uniformed troops there and was 
fired with enthusiasm at their 
military appearance. 

Conditions did not, however, 
improve during the next two 
years and Adjutant - General 
Amasa Cobb complains bitterly 
of the lack of interest in what he 
considered a very important 

matter. He says, in 1857, in a manner of despair : "There are about twenty uni- 
formed companies in the State, but not one of them has made a report to this office the 

past year." 

In 1858, however, a series of laws was passed, providing for the management of 

a uniformed militia. There appears to have 

been at that time 2,365 men organized into 

fifty-five companies, but as many were ununi- 

formed and most but partly armed, the number 

cannot be placed nearly as high as that. The 

laws provided for annual reviews and parades 

as a means of encouraging military order, but 

owing to the hard times that then prevailed in 

the State, they were never carried out. In 

1859 Adjutant-General Swain still complained 

of the lack of reports, but gives the number 

of the organized force as 1,993 in fifty-two 

companies. It was in that year that the old 

Union Guards were disbanded, owing to in- 
ternal trouble, and another company with the 

same name started, and it was for the purpose COL F H hankekson, 

of securing funds to support this new organi- aidb-db-camf. 




ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE W. N. G. 



15 



zation that the ill-fated excursion on the Lady Elgin was undertaken. The fearful 
catastrophe attending that trip, which wiped out not only this new company, but 
hundreds of other lives, is well remembered even to-day. 

The year 1861 saw the breaking out of the War of the Rebellion and President 
Lincoln's call for troops. The first regiment to leave Wisconsin for the front con- 
sisted of the following companies: Milwaukee Light Guard, Capt. George B. Bing- 
ham; Milwaukee Union Rifles, Capt. Henry A. Mitchell ; Iloricon Guard, (apt. O. B. 
Twogood ; Black Yagers, Capt. Pius Dreher ; Madison Guard, Capt. George E. Bry- 
ant; Beloit City Guard, Capt. William M. 
Clark ; Park City Greys, Capt. Don. C. Mc- 
Vean ; Milwaukee Riflemen, Capt. William 
George; Fond du Lac Badgers, Capt. James 
V. McCall ; Governor's Guards, Capt. Lucius 
Fairchild. In all there were 810 men when 
they left Fort Scott. 

It was not until 1863 that steps were taken 
to reform the organized State militia, and laws 
were passed in that year, which, however, were 
a failure, and for many reasons did not achieve 
any appreciable results. Many of the provis- 
ions, however, have been the foundation for fu- 
ture legislation, as for instance the civil organi- 
zations within companies, the power to impose 
and collect fines, etc. The laws of that year 
also allowed each company to select a uniform 
that might suit it best. But this resulted in so 
much internal wrangling that many companies 
got no uniforms at all. Adjutant-General 
Gaylord the following year reported the strength 
of the command at 879 men, from forty com- 
panies of infantry and two batteries. He was of the opinion that the fault in not 
getting better results lay with the State in not paying the men. 

A year later Gen. Gaylord, who had served through the war as Wisconsin's Ad- 
jutant-General, with remarkable ability and great credit to himself and the State, was 
succeeded by James K. Proudfit, who at once took an active interest in militia matters, 
and although much of his time, like that of his predecessors, was taken up 
with matters in connection with the late war, he found time to study the question care- 




COL. GUSTAVE G. PABST. 

AIDE-DE-CAMP. 




Brigadier-General Louis Auer. 



or \ R T ERM A ST BR A ND COMM ISSA K V-G E N I- R A 1 . . 



ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE W. N. G. 



17 



fully and in his first annual report took occasion to speak in no doubtful terms and 
made some important recommendations. " The militia system of our State is an utter 
failure," he says. " Give it a new name, the ' National Guard,' or any other distinctive 
name, and a new law in which our experience and that of all other States indicates 
that there should be two clearly defined provisions: First, compelling service from 
the whole arms-bearing population, and, secondly, encouragement of independent 
organizations by assistance of uniforms, and a per diem for specified service in drill 
and parade." A year later he again repeats his recommendations, declaring that the 
uniformed militia of Wisconsin is still a failure. He declares that the only fair way 
of supporting and maintaining any number of militia troops would be by providing 




ADJT.-GEN. RUGGLES, U. S. A., WITH GOV. PECK AND STAFF. REVIEWING 
THE SECOND REGIMENT. 

by general taxation for funds to aid in supporting first-class independent volunteer 
companies, with the power in the hands of the Governor to withhold aid or to disband 
companies for neglect of duty. He suggested that $10 should be given to each man of 
say a force of 2,000, divided into twenty companies. 

Despite these most excellent ideas, there was no perceptible improvement, 
although a few new companies were organized. He then maintained that if the Gen- 
eral Government did not intend to do anything toward securing a permanent National 
Guard the State should step in and do so itself. Gen. Proudfit's work in this behalf 
was, however, all in vain, as far as present results were concerned, and in 1869, when 
Gen. Bryant succeeded him, he found that all but eight or ten of these uniformed com- 
panies were virtually disbanded. Even these received absolutely no aid from the 
State and were obliged to maintain themselves at no inconsiderable expense, and when 



18 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



the glamour of the new uniforms wore off and parades and drills got tiresome, the 
cost of the whole thing proved a ready excuse for disbanding the company. 

However, Aug. 5, 1870, a regiment of uniformed militia was formed in Milwau- 
kee, still without aid from the state. It consisted of the Cream City Guard, Milwau- 
kee Light Guard, Sheridan Guard, Milwaukee Zouaves, Merchants' Zouaves, Mil- 
waukee Cadets, Mechanics' Zouaves, and Milwaukee Light Artillery. The whole 
was under command of Col. John C. Starkweather. Of the balance of the uniformed 
guard at that time it may be sufficient to state that out of the twenty companies car- 
ried on the muster, no less than eight were totally without uniforms. 




WATCHING THE REVIEW OF THE SECOND. 

There was, however, at this time an ever increasing amount of military zeal 
am.mg the people, which manifested itself in the constant organizing of companies, 
which lived for but a few months and many not so long as this. Had there been 
any disposition on the part of the State to render these organizations any material 
assistance, they might all have flourished, or at least the most efficient. But as it 
was the laws of the State were mainly at fault, and under them the new companies 
necessarily lacked stability. Adjutant-General Bryant, in 1S70, made many important 
recommendations which he thought would put the Guard on a better basis. He 
thought that there should be an amendment to the State Constitution providing that 
all money paid for exemption from military duty should go towards a fund to support 
the organized militia ; that there should be a law limiting the number of companies 
recognized by the State and providing for their organization and equipment, and that 



ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE W. N. G. 



19 




Ex. Gov. Wm, D. Hoard. 



there should be suitable provisions made for occasional musters, parades and reviews. 
He also thought that a certain amount of military service should be obligatory. 
These recommendations, constantly made, however, brought no result until 1S73, and 
the National Guard of the State was in as unorganized a condition as it could possibly 
be. Nor can the fault of this be laid at the door of General 
Bryant, who was always an enthusiast on the subject. I lis time 
was taken up with the voluminous war records and he had little 
chance to do anything actively for the National Guard. 

The Legislature of 1873, however, took an important step 
forward as far as the National Guard was concerned. It passed 
a law providing definitely for the manner (if organizing National 
Guard companies, and further that every company organized in 
accordance with the law should receive an annual compen- 
sation amounting to SlOO, for rental of armory and to 
keep the arms and accoutrements in repair. Of course this 
sum was miserably inadequate, and although the burden of maintaining a com- 
pany was in some manner taken from the shoulders of the men themselves, the law- 
seemed to offer just enough encouragement for new companies to be organized but 
not enough to maintain them when their ardor had somewhat cooled. In fact, the 
Quartermaster-General complained that new companies were being organized so fast, 
only to go to pieces shortly afterwards, that the expense of shipping the arms and of 
having them returned, not to speak of the wear and tear on 
the arms themselves, was utterly out of proportion to what it 
should be. But the law was a step toward State aid, and Ail 
jutant-General Parkinson in his next report recommended that 
this annual appropriation be increased to S300 a year for com- 
panies of Infantry and Si, 000 a year for batteries of Artillery 
and troops of Cavalry. The Legislature of 1S7; did actually 
increase the appropriation to S300 a year for each company, 
and the beneficent result was at 1 nice noticeable. There were 
more rigid inspections and fuller parades. Even then it was 

& » ' Col. Ai .111 1,1 II . IIcii.i.istiik. 

the plaint of the Adjutant-General that " scarcely a State in the ««. wki..i«.chi.f. 

Union, of its wealth and population, has done so little as Wisconsin towards encour- 
aging and maintaining a respectable militia." lie thought that the force should be 
divided up into two regiments, and that each regiment should have two encampments 
a year. 

The years of iS/8and 18711 were years of steady progress for the Wisconsin 




20 



THK WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



National Guard. In fact Adjutant-General Bryant, who had steadily maintained that 
there were too many companies indiscriminately mustered in, says : " On the whole 
the condition of the National Guard is greatly improved." He then says that more 
companies could now safely be organized. This power was now in the hands of the 
Governor, where it was productive of much more satisfactory results. In 1879 General 
Bryant says again: " At no time since the war has so much interest been manifest in 
military organizations as at the present. At no time in the history of the State (except 
during the war period) have so many prosperous, well-uniformed, well-drilled and 
equipped companies been in existence." As a sign of these things he says : " Military 
drills and parades are becoming an important feature of fairs and other public gather- 
ings." The great want now 
felt seemed to be a regular 
annual encampment, but that 
was not to come for some 
years. 

Although, as General 
Bryant states, these compan- 
ies were doubtless " well-uni- 
formed, " their costumes va- 
ried much. Blue and cadet 
grey, with some trimmings, 
were the principal favorites, 
after the review. although some companies 

went into the matter of uniform in a much more elaborate manner. As a sample a 
few may be quoted, taken from the inspection of that year: 

Kosciusko Guard, Milwaukee : Dark blue dress-coat, sky blue fringe epaulets, 
cadet grey pants, dark blue caps. 

Governor's Guard, Madison : Dark blue with red trimmings, cap and plume. 
Guppy Guard, Portage: Grey dress-coat with black trimmings and gold lace 
edgings ; quite elegant. 

In 1 879 the first battalion was formed out of the Custer Rifles, Beloit City Guards, 
Janesville Guards and Bower City Rifles. William B. Britton, of Janesville, was made 
major. This is practically the first permanent organization of the Wisconsin National 
Guard, which later developed into the organization by regiments as it exists to-day. 

In the spring of 1880 (March 29) Governor Smith issued a general order which 
was meant to do away with the various uniforms and clothe the Wisconsin National 





Colonel Charles King 



FORMERLY INSPECTOR-GENERAL AND COMMANDER FOURTH INF., W. N.G. 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



Guard according to one pattern. The uni- 
form for the officers was designated to be 
the same as in the United States army. 
A single breasted dress-coat of dark blue 
cloth was prescribed for the privates. 
There was some gold braid around the 
ci tllar and the sleeves and tails were slashed 
and faced with buff-colored cloth. There 
were three rows of W. N. G. buttons down 
the front of the coat, nine buttons to a row, 
and three smaller buttons on the sleeves. 
The trousers were to be of dark blue cloth, 
with buff stripes one inch wide. The caps 
were to be the same as worn by United 
States officers. This was the uniform of 
the National Guard of the State for several 
years. 

It is significant that in the fall of 1880, 
Gen. Bryant opens his report with the 
words : " The business of this office for the 
past year has been mainly the conducting 
of correspondence incidental to the organization and care of the Wisconsin National 
Guard." I Ieretofore this part of the Adjutant-General's work was but a small part of 
his duties. Things had begun to look up for the National Guard. There were 2,100 
uniformed men mustered in, and although some companies were mustered out by the 
Governor, there were always others eager to take their place. In the winter of 1 879-80 
the Legislature had passed a law limiting the benefits of the State to the best thirty 
companies and creating for these a uniform fund, which materially increased the allow- 
ance to each company. 

Between June 7 and June 12, 1880, there was the first real assembling of the new 
National Guard, a soldiers' and sailors' reunion having been arranged in Milwaukee. 
Seventeen companies from the interior of the State were present with the University bat- 
talion, and four from Milwaukee with the Milwaukee cadets. A company from Chicago 
increased the number of military organizations present to twenty-four. This reunion was 
productive of much good, and the National Guard sentiment received cjuite an impetus. 
The weather was bad during the encampment and therefore there was little chance for 
general instruction. There was some drilling for prizes, the first ($500) being won by 




COL. THOMAS P. DEVER. 
AIDE-DE-CAMP. 



ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE W. N. G. 



23 



the Janesville Guards, Capt. H. A. Smith. The Chicago company carried off the 
second, $300, and the Evergreen City Guards, under Captain (now Lieutenant-Colonel) 
C. A. Born, captured the third, $150. The Guppy Guards, Captain W. I). Womer, 
and the Mauston Light Guard, Captain W. N. Remington, divided the fourth, $50. 

The muster of Sept. 30, 1881, saw 2,441 men enrolled in over thirty companies. 
The laws in regard to the militia were revised and compiled and there was a thorough 
inspection of the Guard by General Bryant and his assistants. In this year, two years 
after the first had been formed, three more battalions were organized, as follows: 

Second: Bay City Light Guards, Oshkosh Guards, Evergreen City Guards, 
Oshkosh Rifles, and Fond du Lac Guards. Lieutenant-Colonel, Gabriel Bouck. 




THE GOVERNOR AMI STAFF WAITING FOR THE REVIEW. 

Third: Mauston Light Guard, Governor's Guard (La Crosse), Sherman Guards, 
La Crosse Light Guards, and Unity Guards. Lieutenant-Colonel, M. T. Moore. 

Fourth: Governor's Guard (Madison), Guppy Guards, Lake City Guards, Water- 
town Rifles, and Burchard's Guards. Lieutenant-Colonel, Chandler P. Chapman. 

The following year, 1882, General Bryant was succeeded as Adjutant-General by 
General Chandler P. Chapman. There seemed about this time to be a revival of mili- 
tary interest all over the land, and in this Wisconsin took its part. The reports for 
that year show an enrollment of 2,447 men. The laws of that year provided for 
annual encampments and about two-thirds of the National Guard of the State did 
actually perform this tour of duty, which added greater zeal to their now thoroughly 
aroused enthusiasm. Through the organization of several new companies, it was 
possible for General Chapman to form the battalions into regiments. The First and 



24 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




Second regiments of infantry were organ- 
ized March 30, 1882, and April 26, 1882, 
but it was not until April 30, 1883, that 
the Third was formed, partly from the 
Fourth battalion, which was disbanded. 
At that same time four local Milwaukee 
companies were organized by themselves 
into the Fourth Battalion. The regiments 
were made up from a geographical stand- 
point. All those companies on and south 
of the Prairie du Chien division of the St. 
Paul railroad were organized into the 
First Regiment, with headquarters at 
Janesville. The Second Regiment com- 
prised those companies east of the railway 
from Madison to Portage and north to 
Ashland. The Third was made up of 
companies north of the Fust and west 
of the Second, with headquarters at La 
Crosse, and the Fourth Battalion, as has 
been stated, of those companies in Mil- 
waukee. 

About this time the move to do away witli the uncomfortable and unserviceable full- 
dress uniforms was made. The National Guard was now on the highway to prosper- 
ity and the riots in Milwaukee in the spring of 1886, proved what the thorough train- 
ing and rigid discipline of a few years had accomplished. When this trouble, of which 
more extended mention will be made later, had been passed, the National Guard felt 
a more earnest desire to improve, as they felt the necessity for their existence. 

Mention must be made of a noteworthy occurrence in 1884. In that year the 
Milwaukee Light Horse Squadron invited all the Wisconsin National Guard to take 
part in a three days' encampment in Milwaukee as a provisional brigade, with a per- 
manent formation in view. Free transportation and subsistence was furnished. The 
First Regiment had previously been ordered into camp there. The Second had but 
recently broken its own camp and so was represented but by companies B, C, E, H 
and I. The Third had been in camp in June and came into Milwaukee with 450 men, 
a stronger regiment of State troops than had ever been on duty in Wisconsin before. 
There was no expense to the State and this reunion tended further to cement the bonds 
between the different organizations. 



ASS'T SECY OF WAR JOSEPH B. DOE. 
EX-ADJT.-GEN., \V. N. G. 



ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE W. N. G. 



25 




INSPECTING THE COLORS. 



There are many men to whom the credit of getting the National Guard out of 
the old rut and into its present good condition is due. But here I can but repeat the 
words of General Chapman: "Where all have performed their duties so well it might 
seem invidious to select one officer 
for special commendation, but I 
think every officer and man of the 
State troops will cordially com- 
mend an official recognition of 
the valuable and eminently prac- 
tical services of Colonel Charles 
King, A. D. C. * * * His 
services have been of exceptional 
value." 

( )ne more improvement that 
occurred about this time must be mentioned. Under the provisions of a law passed in 
1885, regulation fatigue uniform and overcoats were bought and distributed to the 
men. It was an improvement long wished for and much appreciated by the men. 
When it is considered that in 1 S88 the average cost to a State of a militiaman in the 
Eastern States was $},/. 31 a year, and that hardly ever did the cost to Wisconsin 
amount to S20, some idea will be given of the careful and conscientious work done 
on the part of the officers. Of all that have occupied the important office of Adju- 
tant-General of Wisconsin, none have been more enthusias- 
tic in their work than the present incumbent, General Otto 
Falk, who, having served for many years in the Fourth 
Regiment, knew well what the needs of the Guard were and 
he has supplied them to the best of his ability. The work 
of General Chapman did not fall into unworthy hands when 
it was entrusted to General Falk, or his predecessor, General 
Doe, and nothing within their power has been left undone 
that would put the National Guard of this State in a more 
perfect condition at home or in the field. 

To return, then, to the National Guard of Wisconsin as 
it is to-day. There arc, as has been stated, four regiments, one troop of cavalry and 
one battery of artillery. They are as follows : 

First Regiment — Col. Allen F. Caldwell. Companies from Darlington, Janesville, 
Fort Atkinson, Whitewater, Beloit, Racine, Madison and Monroe; 502 men. 

Second Regiment — Col. Worthie H. Patton. Companies from Appleton, Ripon, 
c 




COL. HARRY I. WEED. 
AIDE-DE-CAMP. 



26 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

Oshkosh (2), Marinette, Oconto, Marshfield, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, 
Beaver Dam, and Ashland ; 723 men. 

Third Regiment — Col. Martin T. Moore. Companies from Portage, Tomah, Wau- 
sau, Eau Claire (2), Mauston, Neillsville, Menomonie, La Crosse (2), Hudson and 
Sparta ; 723 men. 

Fourth Regiment — Col. Albert Bleuel. Companies from Milwaukee (8); 479 men. 

Troop A — Capt. John G. Salsman, Milwaukee, 58 men. 

Battery A — Capt. Harry W. Ellis, Milwaukee, 56 men. 

These men are all thoroughly armed and equipped. They all have the regulation 
undress uniform of the United States army, with the exception that on the button is 
the arms of Wisconsin instead of that of the United States. As an example of how 
thoroughly they are equipped, a list of the property of the State in the possession of 
one company for its use may serve. Co. B, Second Regiment, of Oshkosh, for exam- 
ple, is responsible to the State for 60 Springfield rifles, 60 bayonets, 60 scabbards, 55 
waist belts and plates, 60 woven cartridge belts, 49 overcoats, 50 new blouses, 50 old 
blouses, 50 new trousers, 50 old trousers, 50 campaign hats, 50 forage hats, 50 pairs 
leggins, 48 summer helmets, 50 canteens, 40 haversacks, 40 blanket bags, 1 trumpet 
and one set of reloading tools. Congress has made an appropriation of $400,000 
annually to furnish arms and accoutrements for the National Guard of the various 
States, and it is from this sum that the various States are provided for. Each State is 
allowed so much and the Government is drawn on at the discretion of the Adjutant- 
General of the State. 

The National Guard of the various States is organized under a provision of the 
Constitution of the United States. Art. I, Sec. 8, says: 

The Congress shall have power * * * * to provide for calling for the militia to execute 
the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions. To provide for organizing, 
arming and disciplining the militia and for governing such part of them as may be employed 
in the service of the United States, reserving to the States, respectively, the appointment of 
the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by 
Congress. * * * To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into exe- 
cution the foregoing powers. * * * 

According to an act of Congress every able-bodied male citizen between the ages of 
eighteen and forty-five is a member of the militia. The National Guard is simply the uni- 
formed and trained part of the general militia system, or as the laws of the State put it, 
" The active and organized militia of the State of Wisconsin shall be known as the Wis- 
consin National Guard." There have been various laws passed from time to time enlarg- 
ing or reducing the size of the National Guard, as for instance, in 1886, when the maxi- 
mum was cut down from 3,757 to 2,473 men, and the minimum to 1,918. The actua.1 



ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE W. N. G. 27 

strength of the organization under the new law became 2,473 m place of 2,233. This 
law was passed to relieve the State of an unnecessary burden, to cut out all " dead 
wood " and to render the actual force more effective. By the law of 1893 the National 
Guard cannot consist of over forty companies, one battery of artillery and one troop 
of cavalry. So it will be seen that the Guard is complete at the present time, and until 
the law is changed no new companies can gain admission. For this reason vacancies 
are eagerly watched for, and it happened not long ago that there was one, but it was 
not allowed to remain over a couple of weeks, when a new company was organized in 
the very same city to take the place of the one that had been mustered out. Examina- 




ON THE WAY TO THE REVIEW. 

tions are also now conducted in a more rigid manner, and a company to retain its 
place in the National Guard and receive the benefits which such a position brings, 
must be up to a certain standard. As soon as it shows signs of going to pieces, either 
actually or in general discipline, it is at once mustered out. 

The infantry of the Guard is divided into regiments and the law requires them to 
be of not less than eight nor more than twelve companies. Each regiment is again 
divided in battalions of not less than three or more than four companies, but no regi- 
ment can have over three battalions. This entire force, by a law recently passed may 
be organized into a Brigade commanded by a Brigadier-General, but this has not been 
done, nor is it likely to happen for some time to come, as it does not seem that any- 
thing can be gained by such action with the wording of the present law. 



28 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

The objects of a National Guard, as stated by a former Adjutant-General of Wis- 
consin, are as follows : 

1. To aid the civil authorities in the execution of laws, when its power fails. 

2. To provide an organized, instructed, disciplined and equipped force, available 
in National emergencies while a volunteer army is forming. 

3. To spread some military knowledge among the mass of the people. 

4. To furnish a guarantee of peace, or at least an approximate preparation to 
resist a domestic or foreign foe. 




DRESS PARADE ON GOVERNOR'S DAY. 

It is to accomplish these ends that all Government and State help is furnished the 
independent and volunteer military organizations that go to make up the National 
Guard of the State of Wisconsin. All that these sovereign powers ask in return is a 
faithful performance of duty and strict adherence to the discipline and rules laid down 
for its government. 

When a vacancy occurs in the National Guard, which in former years was not an 
unusual occurrence, the process of forming a new company is simple in the extreme. 
All that is necessary is for sixty-five persons, residents of one county, to forward to 
the Governor an application for the formation of such a company ; the applicants, how- 
ever, must be subject to service in the militia, that is, between the ages of eighteen and 
forty-five. The Governor then sends a mustering officer to the locality, the names of the 
members of the new company are signed to a muster roll to the number of at least fifty, 
an election for officers is then held, and if satisfactory to the" Governor, are commis- 
sioned, and on the recommendation of the mustering officer the company is enrolled 
as a member of the Wisconsin National Guard. Each company then generally adopts 
a civil organization, elects a president, secretary and treasurer, and adopts a consti- 
tution, which, however, must conform to the laws of the State in regard to such mat- 
ters, and must be submitted the Governor for his approval. This constitution and 



ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE W. N. G. 



29 



by-laws generally provides for fines to be imposed on members for absence from drills 
and parades. The maximum penalty is $5 and the minimum $1, and action can be 
brought by the captain before any court to secure this money when due. 

Officers are elected by the companies, when vacancies occur, but this election 
must be approved by the Governor, who issues the commission, and he may, on the 
recommendation of a commanding officer, or if he thinks the best interests of the State 
demand it, order an examination of the candidate as to his fitness for the place. This 
examination may take place before any competent officer or officers appointed by the 
Governor. The commission lasts at the pleasure of the Governor. The seniority of 
officers is determined by the date of their commissions. 

Everyman mustered or enlisted in the National Guard is held to a service of three 
years, unless he is sooner discharged, and maybe re-enlisted for the term of one year. 
Every member of the National Guard is exempt from jury duty ami from the payment 
of any poll tax. On an honorable discharge after five years of service, he becomes 
permanently exempt from these duties as well as from military service in time of peace. 

Any officers may be discharged by the Commander-in-Chief, but an enlisted man 
becomes dishonorably discharged for any of five reasons: 1. Absence from his com- 
mand when called out for the suppression of riot or for any other active duty. 2. 
Desertion. 3. Insubordination, immoral conduct or intemperance. 4. Continued non- 
attendance at drills. 5. Re- 
fusal to pay any fine prop- 
erly imposed. 

Commissioned officers 
may at any time send their 
resignations to their imme- 
diate commanding officer, 
the Governor may accept 
or reject it. No enlisted 
man can be honorably dis- 
charged, unless, after three 
years service, or on account 
of some absolute disability 
incurred after mustering in, or on account of moving outside the county, or for some 
other ground approved by the Governor. 

It will thus be seen that the rules in regard to enlistment into the National Guard 
are most stringent, and it is no longer possible for a man to join a company for the fun 
of the thing for a short time and then neglect his duties thus imposed, without incur- 




BATTERY A IX ACTION. 




30 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

ring the stigma of a dishonorable discharge. These rules have had a tendency to weed 
out all undesirable elements in the Guard, so that now the various companies are com- 
posed of men who have gone into the thing seriously, who take a lively interest in 
National Guard matters, a proper pride in their individual company and regiment, and 
who are, in fact, good soldiers of the State, ready to do its bidding at any time. 

At least once in every year the entire National Guard is 
inspected by an officer appointed by the Governor. This in- 
spection takes place sometime between the months of March 
and October, and must be preceded by at least three days' 
notice to the several companies. Formerly a notice of two 
weeks was needed, although it has been recommended that 
this time be decreased to a twenty-four hours telegraphic warn- 
ing, as is the custom in several of the Eastern States. This 
certainly would be a fairer test of the general condition of the 
. „ companies, when they are not given a long time to prepare for 

First Lieut. Wm. L.Buck. t J b fc> r i 

" TH "■*■"«'■ the officer, get their books, uniform and arms into shape from 

possible neglect. The rule now is not enough in favor of those commands that are 
always ready for the inspector, like the boy in school, who does not figure when he 
will be called upon to recite, but is ready at all times. In former years this inspection 
was made by an officer of the National Guard, generally a member of the Governor's 
staff, but since 1883 always by a regular army officer, except a very few conducted by 
Gen. Chapman. These officers report at once to the Adj utant-General of the army and the 
Adjutant-General of the State. Criticism from such a man is more apt to be impartial 
and searching, and as the rank and standing of the several companies depend on this 
inspection, as well as the yearly allowance for armory rental and the further allowance 
of $5 per man, present in uniform at inspection, it is necessary that it should be thor- 
ough. Many years ago, before what Capt. King calls the renaissance of the National 
Guard, this inspection was an empty ceremony, and had little value either to the State 
or the men, and the mission of the Governor's emissary was as much for political as 
any other purpose. A sample, however, of what the inspection is now like, will be 
found in the appendix, being the latest report from the present inspector, Lieut. Buck, 
U. S. A. 

An article by Capt. Charles King, which appeared some years ago in Outing,ha.s 
this to say of the Wisconsin National Guard in 1871 : 

The companies were organized under a moss-grown militia law, uniformed something 
after the manner of the Waterloo days, armed with Springfield calibre, 50's as a rule, and 
designated as Guards, Rifles, or Volunteers, as the fancies of the members might suggest. A 
favorite custom was to name the newly raised command for some distinguished General, 



ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE W. N. G. 



31 



and Sherman, Sheridan and Custer were thus remembered. A custom still more honored in 
the observance, was to designate the company after the name of the town in which it was 
maintained, and almost every place of over 5,000 inhabitants had its local defenders, while 
some companies seemed to flourish for the time in villages so small as to give rise to the sup- 
position that the entire male population had been mustered in. 

I quote again from the same article by Capt. King: 

The force was but an agglomeration of independent companies, when first I came to 
know it in 1880. Gray was to the full as popular as the blue. The "spike-tail" coats, 
trimmed with gilt braid, gay epaulets and shoulder knots, and white plumed shakos were 
almost universal. Some of the companies had white cross belts, but most of them had noth- 
ing but the worn, old black leather waist belt, the McKeever box and the metal scabbard. 
Uniform, arms ami methods were all practically obsolete, but the " boys," as they called them- 
selves, and preferred to be called, were solidly set against innovation or change. There is 
nothing on earth more conservative than an old soldier — unless it be a young one. * * * : 
It was in January, 1SS2, that Jeremiah M. Rusk entered upon his seven-year administration 
as Governor of Wisconsin, and during those seven years, as radical a change was wrought in 
the organization, equipment, instruction and discipline of the troops of this State as occurred 
in Pennsylvania after the riots of '77. 

The renaissance of the Guard began in good earnest in January, 18S2. There was 
much speculation as to the selection of his military staff by the newly-elected Governor. 




INSPECTION OF A REGIMENT P.V CAPT. HOBART, V. S. A. 



When, therefore, the announcement was flashed by telegraph that Gov. Rusk had named 
Chandler P. Chapman, of Madison, as his Chief of Staff, there was a shout of approval ami 
rejoicing in every armory in the State, and the seven years that followed were filled full with 
confirmation of their earliest faith. 

It was Chapman who molded the scattered batalions and companies into regiments, 
each in its own district. It was Chapman who strove from the outset to eradicate all the old 
militia parade ideas and to bring the Guard to a business basis. It was Chapman who chose 



32 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

the regular army as a standard for Wisconsin's soldiery, and he who first brought regular 
officers in as instructors and " coaches " of the raw command. It was he who, little by little, 
weaned " the boys " from their first loves — the tailed coat and the plumed shakos, and taught 
them to be men in the regulation dress of the regular service. It was lie who devised 
the methods for the rapid mobilization of the Guard ; planned their service, uniform and 
equipment; exploded the old inspection system and started the new one; instituted the 
regimental camps with " regulars " as drill-masters and coaches ; originated the annual con- 
ventions and has presided over their deliberations from that time to this (1891), and it was he 
who fathered the impulse that made practice with the rifle the most important item in the 
instruction of our guardsmen, and who was the leader in the movement that secured to our 
State soldiery the admirable tract of land for our encampments and the rifle ranges, pronounced 
by every expert who has visited them, " unequaled in the whole country." 

Since the time when the foregoing was written by Capt. King, progress not the 
less gratifying has been made, and under the administration of Gov. Peck, Adjutant- 
General Doe and Adjutant-General Falk, many improvements in all branches have 
been brought about. Many more improvements have not as yet been possible, 
although already planned, but that the National Guard of the State of Wisconsin is 
on a business basis, even its faintest admirers cannot doubt. The old idea of "boys' 
play " is gone forever, and in its place is a competent body of troops impressed with 
the seriousness of its work, backed up by the financial and moral aid of the mass 
of citizens, and ready in return to answer to any call that may be made upon it. 



CHAPTER 



THE WISCONSIN MILITARY RESERVATION. 




WISCONSIN has the honor of owning a larger military reservation than any other 
State in the Union. It occupies somewhat over 600 acres, and is situated 
nearly at the geographical center of the State, and a half mile north of the little vil- 
lage of Camp Douglas, which lies at the junction of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. 
Paul ami the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha rail- 
roads. It is some 140 miles almost directly west of Milwau- 
kee and in a most picturesque part of the State. A few miles 
east are the " Dells of the Wisconsin," one of nature's wonders, 
and a place to be seen by those in search of the curious and 
picturesque. 

Regimental camps were established earl)- in the '80s, 
and for years it was the custom of the various commands to 
pick out each year some town where they should be held. 
Janesville, Sparta, Waukesha, Appleton, Chippewa halls, 
< >c<>nomowoc, Ripon, Whitewater, Manitowoc, Marinette, 
Oconto, and many other cities were thus honored. It was the custom of the various 
cities, indeed, to bid for the privilege of entertaining the troops during the encamp- 
ment season, and grounds were offered, and generally other conveniences in the way 
of a bonus. No two regiments camped in the same city the same summer. ( >t 
course these encampments were desirable, as there was always more or less parad- 
ing ; then, too, it brought the Governor and his staff to town, with all the ceremony 
of Governor's day. It was for these and many other reasons that these weeks of 
camp were not always productive of the greatest good in that line which the)' were 
intended to serve. It was not possible to maintain that discipline which was to be 
desired, nor were the comveniencics for drilling and shooting purposes always ol the 
best. That the encampments of this order did good work in a certain measure, no 
one can doubt. It was the only chance for evolutions of bodies larger than companies, 
the men and officers got to know each other, and many other results were accom- 
plished. For many years, though, it was felt that if a permanent camping ground 



Gen. Micfiakl Gkh'i in. 

£10 M -GEN . W N d. 



34 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



could be acquired by the State and suitably fitted up, much more on the desired lines 
could be done. 

For several years this idea was promoted by Gen. Chapman, then Adjutant-Gen- 
eral, and was much talked of by the officers must interested in the welfare of the 
National Guard. In 1888 matters finally came to a head. Capt. George Graham, of 
Tomah, inspector of rifle practice of the Third Regiment, and an enthusiastic National, 




GENERAL CHANDLER P. CHAPMAN. 

EX-ADJUTAN'T-GENEKAI., W. N. G. 



Guardsman, wrote a letter to Gen. Chapman, saying that he thought he had discovered 
the place that was wanted. On his business trips he had frequently passed through 
the village of Camp Douglas, and had had occasion to stop there. The site of the 
present reservation had been pointed out to him by the citizens, and he had made a 
trip to the place and gone over the ground. The citizens offered to clean the under- 
brush off a strip 100 yards wide and 600 yards long, if he could induce Gen. Chap- 
man to visit the place and seriously consider the advisability of locating the camp 
there. Soon afterwards Gen. Chapman and Capt. Graham did actually go over the 
ground, and they were so impressed with its good features that they decided no other 



THE WISCONSIN MILITARY RESERVATION. 



35 




A VIEW OF CAMP FROM THE BLUFFS 



place would do, and that it must 
be secured as a reservation. 
About that time there was a 
great deal of interest being taken 
in rifle practice, and Gen. Chap- 
man ordered a camp of instruc- 
tion to be held on the grounds 
near Camp Douglas, in Septem- 
ber, 1S8S. This camp receives 
more extended mention else- 
where. The result, however, as 
far as the reservation was con- 
cerned, was that the officers and 
men encamped there during 
those few days, notwithstanding 
the meagreness of the facilities 
then at hand, the temporary 
buildings and the dense under- 
brush which covered the ground, with the exception of the small space used as a rifle 
range, became enthusiastic over the proposed permanent location of encampment. 
No funds being distinctly available for the purpose, and the Governor not desiring to 
make such a purchase, Gen. Chapman, at his own individual risk, bought 440 acres 
there from seven different owners, trusting that the State would, in turn, purchase it 

from him. A con- 
ference of the offi- 
cers of the Na- 
tional Guard was 
held April 22, 
1889, and it was 
decided to re- 
c o m mend that 
t h e s e g rounds 
be purchased, and 
that legislation to- 
wards this end lie 
passed. The fol- 

GUARD HOUSE AND COMPANY KITCHENS. lowing bill, illtl'O- 




THE WISCONSIN MILITARY RESERVATION. 



37 



duced by Mr. Bailey, passed the Assembly March 7, 1889, and was subsequently 
signed by Governor Hoard : 

To Purchase Grounds for a Permanent Camp and Rifle Range for the Wisconsin 

National Guard. 
The People of the State of Wisconsin, Represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows . 

Section i. The Governor is hereby authorized to purchase for the State, not to exceed 
600 acres ofland, at or near Camp Douglas, in Juneau County, as a permanent camp ground 




CASTLE JESSIE. 

and rifle range for the Wisconsin National Guard, and to cause the same to be improved and 
fitted up in a convenient manner for those purposes, provided the sum to be paid for the land 
shall not exceed six hundred dollars, and that the total amount expended for all purposes 
shall not exceed five thousand dollars. 

Section 2. There is hereby appropriated out of the general fund a sum sufficient to 
accomplish the purpose aforesaid, the sum to be expended under the direction and approval 
of the Governor. 

Section 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and 
publication. 

Upon the passage of this bill, Gen. Chapman turned over the 440 acres pur- 
chased by him to the State, for the sum of $280, the exact price paid by him originally. 



::s 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



In fanuary, 1S90, the State acquired title to 160 additional acres, making the 
total amount of ground 600 acres, and the price S480. Among those upon whom the 
greatest burden of the work fell, in this connection, as well as the expense of the 
rifle camp the preceding year, were Gen. Chapman, Gen. Griffin, Capt. Philip Reade, 
Capt. George Graham, Capt. George J. Schoeffel, Gen. Louis Auer and Gen. Otto Falk. 




Q. M.-Gen. Falk, Capt. Houart, U. S. A., ash Ass't Q. M. Williams, 

IN FRONT OF HOSPITAL BUILDING, 

Major T. Jeff. George, major of the Third Regiment, was at once appointed 
o-uardian of the State's new acquisition, and work was at once commenced on the 
erection of the permanent features. A guard-house, range-house, quartermaster's 
office, two visitors' stands and twelve kitchens were erected, and about 150 acres 
cleared of underbrush. The balance of the appropriation of $5,000 was exhausted in 
fitting up the ranges, erecting target-pits and the purchase of necessary equipments. 
These improvements were pushed, during the early part of the summer, with all the 
vigor of which Major George is possessed, and June 1 7, 1 889, the new reservation was 



THE WISCONSIN MILITARY RESERVATION. 



39 



occupied for the first time by a Wisconsin regiment. It was the Third which had this 
honor, under command of Col. Moore. The Fourth Regiment and the First also camped 



there that year, but owing 
the companies of the Second, 
to camp elsewhere, as were 
Squadron. It was not until 
Guard was seen at Camp 
panies ofthe Third Regiment 
command of Col. Mason, 
of the Wisconsin National 
this the annual small arms 
of the Missouri was held on 
fame of the place had 
there was no more money 
Capt. Reade, then on duty 
on public citizens for the 




CAPTAIN HARDY. 
CUSTODIAN OF THE RESERVATION. 



to the distance of most of 
they were allowed to go in- 
also the Battery and the 
1 892 that the entire National 
Douglas. In 1890 six com- 
from Fort Snelling, under 
attended the encampment 
Guard, and in addition to 
competition of the Division 
the new reservation. The 
spread abroad, and although 
to improve the grounds, 
with the State, made a call 
purpose, and in this manner 



over $1,000 was contributed from Milwaukee and La Crosse. This was used in im- 
proving the ranges. It was not until a couple of years later that the Legislature made 
any considerable annual appropriation for improvements, but now the Governor has 









A COMPANY STREET FROM THE KITCHENS. 



each year $3,000 at his disposal for this purpose, and its judicious use can be seen 
each year in the improvements which are added from time to time. 

As it stands to-day, the Wisconsin Military Reservation is a thing that the State, 
the tax-payers and the National Guard may well be proud of. Its equal is not on 



40 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



this continent. The place seems by nature to be fitted for the use for which it has 
finally been put. It contains, as has been stated, some 600 acres, and this land is 
almost all serviceable for manoeuvring purposes, although all of it is not cleared, nor 
is it altogether desirable that it should be. The underbrush, however, has disappeared, 
with the exception of a few acres in the extreme northwestern part, and here the fires 
of last summer nearly completed the work. Capt. Chas. King is authority for the 
statement that an army corps might easily be manoeuvred within the enclosed 
grounds. He finds but one fault with the reservation, and that is the absence of any 
river or lake. This has, however, been made up recently by an elaborate system of 
water works. The excellent feature of the camp grounds is the evenness of the 
ground, there being within the reservation but few rises or depressions in the general 




VIEW IN THE REAR OF THE COMPANY KITCHENS. 

nature of the ground, and these of no considerable extent. One part, once a marsh, 
has now been very successfully drained. The levelness of the ground inside the 
reservation and for some distance outside, is broken only by a range of high bluffs 
which extends along the eastern boundary. As a backstop for range work, with the 
rifle or field piece, they cannot be excelled ; and without them this location for a per- 
manent ground would never have been selected. Indeed it was a piece of great good 
luck that these two decidedly opposite features, a level camping and drill ground and 
high backstops for bullets, could have been found, and with such other desirable 
features. 

As will be seen by the accompanying map, which indeed will explain more fully 
and much better than any verbal description, the military reservation, its shape is 
nearly square, with an angle outward on the west side. A five minutes drive from 
the village of Camp Douglas brings one to the gate of the reservation, and from here 
well-defined roads lead to the rear of the company streets and past the range- 



MAP 



or TH F. 



WISCONSIN MILITARY RESE 

IN EAR 

CAMP DOUGLAS -JUNEAU CC 

WI SCONS IN. 

Scale l"*-300" 

Compiled from ac'ua' surveys by the direction 

authority of" Gen Louis Aucr 
Q M Genial WN G 




VTION 



TY. 



Cambier, 0«l 




THE WISCONSIN MILITARY RESERVATION. 



41 



house, directly through the reservation from south to north, or to the " Headquarters" 
building. The soil all over the reservation is exceedingly sandy, and although in times 
of great drought, as during the past summer, walking becomes difficult and the dust 
very considerable, yet this feature has its redeeming qualities. It may rain hard all 
night and by drill time in the morning there is no mud or any vestige of wet. The 
water sinks into the soil in an incredibly short time, and drill may commence almost 
at once after the most severe shower with no discomfort. 




VIEW OF CAMP FROM GRAHAM'S GORGE. 

There are a number of permanent buildings now on the reservation, not all that 
are needed, but all that it has been possible to erect with the funds available. There 
is quite an imposing row of them on the little elevation which commands the parade 
ground. They have been erected from year to year, and one, the Staff Headquarters, 
at the personal expense of the Governor's Staff. Taking these buildings in their 
order, there is, first of all, the Governor's Cottage, a little square building, containing 
one large and two smaller rooms. It can accommodate six people if necessary. It is 
here that the Governor and the members of his personal party stay during his visits 



42 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



to camp. It is not at all elaborately fitted up, but it is comfortable. The cottage is 
connected to the Staff Headquarters by a raised flooring, roofed over, the same width 
as the buildings. This is the pavilion, and serves as the parlor and reception-room 
of the Governor, his party and staff. The Headquarters building was one of the first 
improvements on the reservation and originally contained but two or three rooms, 
which were at once the bed-rooms and offices of the Adjutant and Quartermaster- 
Generals. In 1892, however, Gen. Falk stirred the matter up among the Governor's 
staff, and they clubbed together a sufficient sum to make a very extensive addition to 
the building. It now contains six comfortable bed-rooms and a long dormitory, it 




A COMPANY KITCHEN. 



might be called, in which there is place for eight cots. This building is occupied 
during the entire encampment by the Adjutant-General, Quartermaster-General, their 
assistants, the General Inspector of Small Arms' Practice, the United States officer 
connected with the Guard and the Governor's Staff, when present. Along most of the 
building there runs a broad corridor, and in one part there is a good-sized open fire- 
place. There is a broad-roofed verandah running along the entire front, including the 
Governor's Cottage. 

Next in line is the Hospital, a very commodious and substantial building, also 
erected in 1892. It is very roomy and there is place enough for a dozen cots, 
screened off from what might be called the consulting room of the Surgeon-in-Charge 
and his rather extensive apothecary shop. Then comes the Administration Building, 



THE WISCONSIN MILITARY RESERVATION. 



43 



a little square structure, divided into four rooms. One is occupied by the Adjutant- 
General, and here the office work of the department is done during the weeks of 
camp. It also serves as a bank when the men are being paid off. Back of this is the 
Quartermaster-General's room, and this is the fountainhead for transportation and 
supplies, and the records necessary for these generally keep an assistant busy all the 
time. Across a corridor from these two officers is one room, the office of the Colonel 




CAPT. GEORGE J. SCHOEFFEL. 

FROM A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN WHILE INSPECTOR-GENERAL 
OF THE MINN. N. G. 

and Adjutant of the regiment, and another, the office of the Western Union Telegraph 
Company, where an operator is constantly kept during encampments for the benefit 
of the Press and others. All these buildings face towards the parade ground. In 
front of the Hospital is the band stand, where the evening concerts are given. Back 
of this row, down somewhat of a slope and a few hundred yards nearer the southern 
end of the reservation, are the stables and ice-house. In the stables there is room for 
some sixty horses, and near them is the barn, where the hay and straw is kept. 

Back of these again, and on the crest of a little hill, is the latest and perhaps the 



44 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

most important recent improvement to the reservation, and the proud achievement of 
Ouartermaster-General Auer. It is the bath-house and the water-works. They were 
constructed during the past year and previous to the last encampment. The water- 
works consists of a well, tank, boiler and engine. These not only supply water to 
the adjacent bath-house, but by a system of underground pipes carry it through the 
grounds where the camp is pitched. These pipes are tapped at convenient intervals, 
and supply an abundance of fresh water at all times and for all purposes, through 
the company streets and as far away as the Range-house. The bath-house is 
divided into twenty compartments, of two little cabinets each, one for dressing and 
the other for the shower bath, with hot and cold water. Such regulations have been 
adopted as to insure to each man a chance at a bath as often as he may wish. 

On the south end of the camping ground is the guard-house, a building admir- 
ably fitted for its purposes, and back of it and running up the road back of the com- 
pany streets are the twelve kitchens, one for each company. At the end of this line 
is the Canteen, the privilege of keeping which is rented out by the State to some reli- 
able person. 

Further north and at the foot of the principal range. No. 3, is the Range-house. 
This is elevated a few feet from the ground and divided into various rooms. In front 
are two large ones, where the statistical clerks work and sleep. Here all the records 
of the shooting are received and compiled. Back of these is a room used as a store- 
house for ammunition and supplies of different kinds. There is also a room for the 
Regimental Inspector of Small Arms' Practice, whose work confines him to the range- 
house to a very considerable extent. Back of the Range-house is also a small store- 
house for tents and other things. North of this, a few years ago, there was a small 
pumping-station and a bathing-pool, 190 feet long, cS feet deep and 32 feet wide, but it 
was never much of a success, although when nothing better was at hand it was con- 
sidered quite an improvement. It has now been abandoned. These, with the barber 
shop back of the guard-house, also rented out by the State, completes the list ol 
the permanent buildings on the ground. A few more will doubtless be added from 
time to time, as the progress of the Guard demands and appropriations will allow. 

The regimental camps are pitched from the row of kitchens west, nearly as far 
as the Administration Building, while the Troop and Battery are assigned to a part 
of the grounds south of the road leading to Headquarters and near the stables. 

The Rifle Ranges, indicated on the map, have all been cleared and provided with 
pits, although only one, No. 3, has been furnished with a stone revetment wall. All 
the ranges face towards the line of bluffs, and at the foot of the incline leading up to 
them are the targets. Some of them cross each other, and this was unavoidable 



THK WISCONSIN' MILITARY RESERVATION. 



4-5 



owing to the nature of the land, but it is found not to interfere with their use to any 
extent. Range No. i is always used for skirmish firing, as is No. 2 occasionally, 
although the work on it during the past summer was mostly confined to practice by 
the Battery, with Gatling guns and field pieces. No. 3, as already stated, is the main 
range, but somewhat divides this honor with No. 5. The work on these is almost 
exclusively at fixed distances and they are both in operation simultaneously during a 
large encampment. No. 3 is fitted up with twelve targets and extends back 1,000 




COMPANY MESS-TEXT AXD KITCHEN. 

yards. An excellent idea of it may be obtained from the illustration elsewhere in 
this work. Ranges 4 and 6 are not often used, but are in very fair condition. 

The bluffs, crags and gulches have all been named after men whose work in and for 
the Wisconsin National Guard entitles them to this lasting remembrance. There is 
•' Reade's Signal Rock," the most prominent of all ; " Jeff. George's Bluff" and "Auer's 
Point," " Doe's Pocket " and " Falk's Pocket," " Rusk Plateau " and " Chapman Ridge." 
A little way further south and not shown on the map is the most picturesque bluff, 
named in honor of Mrs. Philip Reade, "Jessie's Castle." The entire reservation has 
been enclosed in a substantial wire fence, marking the limits of the State's purchase. 
Major George, custodian of the range during the first years of its life, was relieved 
subsequently by Capt. Hardy, and under his care the work of keeping the reserva- 
tion in condition goes on from year to year. 



46 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

The work of putting the reservation in the best possible condition has been the 
particular care of Governor Peck and his able Adjutant and Quartermaster-Generals. 
General Doe, General Falk and General Auer have been most enthusiastic in their 
care of this particular trust, and have taken great pride in the results, and it cannot be 
denied that they have much to be proud of. For two years the appropriations were 
small, being only $1,000, but now it is larger and the improvements will be more 
marked. 

The reservation has received many compliments from officers of the regular 
army, high in position, and from visiting officers from the National Guard of other 
States. Its reputation is not confined to Wisconsin nor to the Northwest, and Wis- 
consin National Guardsmen should and do consider themselves lucky in having such 
a permanent camp ground for their exclusive use. 



CHAPTER III. 



MILITARY LIFE IN CAMP. 




CAMP life is the most 
interesting as well 
as the most instructing 
tour of duty in the life of 
the National Guardsman, 
and if not hindered by 
some personal cause, he 
gets .1 full week of it every 
year ; at least he is entitled 
to that much at the hands 
of the State, and the re- 
cords show that between 
eighty and ninety per cent, 
of the members of the 
Guard avail themselves of 
the opportunity offered. 
The camping season is generally in July or August, and lasts four weeks con- 
secutively ; the date of beginning and ending, as well as the order in which the var- 
ious regiments go into camp, being entirely in the discretion of the Adjutant-General. 
For instance, the camp of 1894 was a little later than usual, beginning July 29th, 
when the Third Infantry went to the Military Reservation ; the Fourth Infantry, Troop 
A and Battery A followed August 5; the First Infantry August 12, and the 
Second Infantry August 19, the camp closing August 25. Later there is the rifle 
camp, during which the contest for places on the State rifle team takes place, but this 
will be more fully discussed elsewhere. 

A general order is issued from the Adjutant-General's office some time in ad- 
vance, generally about a month, notifying all regimental and company commanders 
of the date on which their men will go into camp, and giving a series of general 
instructions. From that time on preparations are begun by the State officials and the 



WAITING FOR THE TRAIN. 



IS 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL CUARI). 



commanders, so that when the time comes everything may run along smooth])'. First 
of all there is the transportation to be looked alia'. This is furnished by the State, 
which has a contract with the railroad companies for a cent a mile rate, but dnc care- 
is always used to see that the system is not abused and that no more transportation is 
issued than is necessary. 

About a week before the- time set for the first regiment to come to camp, which 
is always made to fall on a Sunday, a detail is sent from Madison to look after the 
preliminary arrangements. This detail may consist of the Assistant Adjutant-Gen- 
eral, Assistant Quartermaster-General and Assistant-Quartermaster, or only one 

or two of these, as the 
demands of the case 
may warrant. These, 
with the guardian of 
the range and some 
assistants, go to work 
at once getting every- 
thing in shape. The 
main thin;;, of course, 
is the putting up of the 
tents, of which it takes 
a great number to 
shelter 700 men, the 
number that generally 
comes to camp with 
the two large regi- 
ments, the Second and 
the Third. These tents are of the regulation pattern and accommodate several men 
each. They are arranged in twelve long rows, running down from the slight incline, 
which begins at the Administration Building, to the row of kitchens. Each company 
gets one of these rows of tents. These rows are again arranged in double rows, two 
sets being back to back, with a space of about fifty feet between them and the next 
double row. This space is what is known as the company street. At the head of the 
company streets are tin: officers' tents, ami at the head of these again, rather larger 
tents for the field and Staff of the regiment, it is no small matter to put up this field 
of canvas, arrange the flooring and get everything ship-shape, but it is always done in 
,1 most soldierly manner, and by Saturday night previous to the fust week of encamp- 
ment everything is read)'. 




A REGIMENT ARRIVING AT CAMP DOUGLAS 



MILITARY LIFE IN ('AMI'. 



49 




SIOIITIXO A FIELD PIECE 



( >f late years the 
State has practiced an 
innovation which is 
beneficial in many 
ways. Instead of the 
various com pa n i es 
coming into cam]) on 
any train, Adjutant- 
I ieneral Falk has suc- 
ceeded in making ar- 
rangements with the 
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha 
roads to have the men brought in on big special trains, a whole regiment at a time, 
or if this is not entirely practicable, at least a battalion. The companies are picked 
up along the line of the mads and each one assigned to a coach. When the train 
reaches Camp Douglas station the men fall in in companies, and at the command of 
the Colonel are marched up to camp, with the band playing, and the moment they pass 
into the guard lines the week of work has begun. 

The baggage and arrangements for the mess is looked after by a detail from eai h 
company, consisting of a Quartermaster-Sergeant and two company cooks, over 
whom the Regimental Quartermaster has general supervision. 




TROOP A AT REST DURING DRILL. 

The first two hours or so in camp is given up almost altogether with arranging 
tin tents, meeting of the officers to map out the duties of the week and other pre- 
liminary work, which must be dime before the boys can settle down to hard work. 
No sooner is the command, " break ranks " given, than the men are at once seen piling 



50 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



into the tents which have been assigned to them. The arms and accoutrements are 
hastily disposed of, and. then comes the attack on the barns with bed-ticks, and pretty 
soon back the men come with them full, like immense German quilts, with one man at 
each end. Then comes the work of straightening out the tents and visiting from one 
to another, to find out from the ones who have been there before what the duties are 
to be and what the different bugle calls mean. 

But the busiest man about this time is the Adjutant of the regiment, who hardly 
takes time to put his few things in his tent, when he and his Sergeant-Major make 




CHANGING SENTINELS AFTER GUARD MOUNT. 

for their office in the Administration Building, which is a very comfortable little place, 
with desks and chairs and every necessary convenience for accomplishing the work 
that is to be done. Then he gets after the First Sergeants of the different companies 
for a list of the men in camp, those absent, with and without leave, those sick, and 
other details which he must have for his report to the Colonel, and for the purpose of 
making out his muster rolls from which the men are paid at the end of the week. 
Little is done until these reports are in, and then the details are made. Men are at 
once posted as guards to act until the Guard Mount the following morning, or, as is 
sometimes the case, in the evening. A detail is also made for men to work in the 
ranges, men for the hospital corps, men to learn the system of signaling used in the 



MILITARY LIFE IN CAMP. 



51 



army, and for other purposes. Then the different battalions are arranged for work 
with the rifle, which begins on Monday morning, bright and early. 

After Monday morning the work of each regiment, as far as its hours are con- 
cerned, is in accordance with an order which is issued by the Colonel before the 
encampment. As a sample of how the day is divided up, the following order in vogue 
during the encampment of the Third Regiment, season of 1894, will serve. It is as 
follows : 

Reveille - 5:30 a. i\ 

Breakfast - 6:00 " 

Fatigue — Police of Camp 6:30 " 

Sick Call - - - 6:45 

School - - - 7:00 " 

Drill— First Call - - 8:00 

Recall - - - 11:00 " 

First Sergeants - - 11:30 " 

Dinner - - 1 2: 15 i\ :\ 

Each regiment is accompanied into camp by a uniformed band, which is regu- 
larly mustered in and a part of the regiment, and it cuts no small figure in the duties 
and pleasures of the week, from the first reveille to the last dress parade. According 



Drill — First Call 


3:00 


Recall - 


5:00 


Supper 


S : 3° 


Parade 


- 6:30 



Guard Mounting — Immediately fol- 
lowing Parade. 
Tattoo 
Taps - 



10:00 p. M. 




TROOP A OX Till-: MARCH. 



to the programme already mentioned, at 5:30 Monday morning there is a boom from 
the field-piece in front of the guard-house, the flag is run up and the band, awakened 
some time before by the guard under instructions from the Office r-of-the Day, starts on 
a round of the camp playing some lively march. "Mamie," "The Washington Post," 
" High School Cadets," and the " American Cadets," were the favorites among all the 



52 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



bands during the last encampment. It is, indeed, a very tired or lazy man who can 
sleep after the beginning of these ceremonies and during the bustle in company streets, 
which immediately follows the time between reveille and roll-call before breakfast, 
which takes place at 6 o'clock. The men fall in in their company streets in the regu- 
lar order which they take for drill, and at the command of the captain or senior officer, 
are marched to the company tent, where the cook and his assistants has already 
prepared everything for a hearty meal, for no man can go through the exertions of a 
morning in camp on coffee and rolls. Once in the mess-tent, all stiffness and 
military discipline is abandoned, as far as it does not interfere with good order, and 
there is always no end of fun over the meal. Immediately following breakfast the 
camp is put in order, all tents cleaned up, waste paper and all rubbish cleaned from 
the company streets and from around the officers' tents, and everything put in readi- 
ness as if for a formal inspection. 

From now on the various companies are assigned to different duties, according to 
which battalion they belong. The Second and Third Regiment have three battalions 
each, and the First and Fourth but two. The programme mapped out for the week's 
work is fitted for the three battalion regiments, and is slightly changed for those hav- 
ing but two. For the encampment of 1894 it was as follows : 



Battalion. 


Monday. 


Tuesday. 


Wednesday. 


First 


A. M. Target practice 
P. M. Target Practice 


Guard and outpost 
duty. 

Street riot drill. 


Extended order drill. 
Battalion drill. 






A. M. Extended order drill. 
P. M. Battalion drill. 


Target practice. 
Target practice. 


( luard and outpost 

dutv. 
Street riot drill. 




Third 


A. M. Guard and outpost 

duty. 
P. M Street riot drill. 


Extended order drill. 
Battalion drill. 


Target practice. 
Target practice. 





Thursday, A. M. Regimental evolutions. 
P. M. Inspection and review. 
Friday. Regimental evolutions, reconnaisance duty, field work, practice march with 

advance guard, imaginary enemy encountered and regiment deployed for 
action. 
Saturday. Battalion evolutions or company volley firing in A. M. 
P. M. Break camp. 

Perhaps the most important work of the week is the rifle practice. In another 
chapter will be found a more detailed account of the work in this field. Suffice it to 
say, that during the six days that each regiment is in camp, practically every man is 
given a chance to shoot at least at the shorter distances, and if he proves himself at 
all worthy, at the further ranges. Three battalions then give up a whole day each 
to target work, generally the mornings entirely at fixed distances and the afternoons 



MILITARY LIFE IN CAMP. 



53 



at skirmish runs. While the first battalion is occupied at the targets, the second 
has guard and outpost duty, and in the afternoon the very important manoeuvres of 




DISTRIBUTING CARTRIDGES FOR A SHAM BATTLE. 

street riot drills, and the third is engaged in extended order and battalion drills. In 
the course of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, these positions are changed until 
each spends a day at the targets. 




A CATLING GUN AT WORK 



The drill hours are long, as will be seen from the camp order, lasting, in the 
morning, from 8 until 11, and in the afternoon from 3 until 5. There is a chance for 
rest and recreation before and after dinner, which is at 12:15. The plan is to have 
the three meals at equal distances apart; accordingly the supper call sounds at 5:30. 



54 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




The men generally cut it rather 
short in order to have ample time 
to clean up and prepare for the 
function of the day, dress parade, 
which is quite a ceremony, every 
one in camp turning out to wit- 
ness it, if not on duty or in the 
ranks. The dress parade is timed 
so that the evening gun will be 
fired as nearly as possible exactly 
at sun down. The Adjutant's call 
sounds at 6:30, and immediately 
afterwards, headed by the band, 
the battalions begin to march out 
into the field to take their places in 
the line which has been marked 
by the Adjutant. When the) - are 
all in place, the Adjutant, who is 
the showy man of the occasion, 
gives the signal to the drum-major, 
and he parades the band from its station on the right of the regiment along its entire front 
and back again to its place. Then there is the sound-off, and at its close, as soon as the 
last note reaches the ears of the men at the cannon at the guard-house, the evening 
gun is fired and the colors run down. It is quite an impressive ceremony, and it is 
noticed that no matter how often a person has witnessed it, there is an invariable turn- 
ing of heads to catch the first sound of the cannon and to see the flag hauled down. 
The regiment is then turned over to the Colonel, who puts it through a few simple 
movements in the manual of arms. Then the regiment is dismissed, and there are 
sometimes a few manoeuvres by battalions or regiment ; or, if it is Wednesday, the 
day before Governor's day, the regiment is generally marched in review, for practice, 
either before the Colonel or the United States officer inspecting the camp. 

In some regiments guard-mounting is held immediately after parade, but in others 
it is after breakfast and before morning drill. If after parade, the spectators who 
crowded the foot of the incline towards the parade ground, generally remain to watch 
that very interesting ceremony. The new guard is then marched to the guard-house 
and the old guard relieved. There are a number of posts in the camp, and guard is 
marched all of the twenty-four hours, the rule being for one sentry to be two hours 



WAITING FOR THE DRILL CALL. 



MILITARY LIFE IN CAMP. 



55 



on and four hours off, alternately. In charge of the guard, as far as instruction goes, 
is generally some staff officer of the regiment who is particularly well posted on guard 
duty, generally the Lieutenant-Colonel. He sees that they are acquainted with their 
instructions and attend to their duties in a military manner. 

After dress parade there is a concert at the band-stand, and from then until tattoo, 
the men who are not on guard are allowed to follow their own inclinations, if in keep- 
ing with general good order and discipline. At 10:30 there is the sound of taps and 
all lights go out at once. After that there is no noise tolerated in camp and few have 
any desire to make any or disturb the peace in any way. There is just seven hours 
between taps and another day's hard work, and sleep is in demand. 




ml 



* « 



% 



#»» '.. 




CLOSING IN ON THE ENEMY. 

Such is a day's work in camp, and only the actually sick can escape it. It is a 
life full of interest for those who have any enthusiasm for the work, and much can be 
and is learned during those six clays. 

On Thursday, however, of each week, the entire programme is changed. There 
is no drilling and little if any target practice. Only the guard keeps up its regular 
duties. Thursday is what is known as Governor's Day. A day given up to inspec- 
tion, ceremony and visitors. Not that all is fun and Thursday a picnic-day. Far 
from it, and reveille is not a second later, nor is discipline in any way relaxed. The 
Governor, the Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard and his Staff, generally 
come in Wednesday afternoon. At the same time there is a considerable influx of 
visitors from different towns. The one ceremony of the morning is the inspection of 
the troops and the camp, by the United States officer, detailed by the government to 
inspect and report on the camp. This is generally held about 1 1 o'clock. The men 
are drawn up in full marching order, with their uniforms and accoutrements as clean 



56 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



as time and a considerable amount of elbow-grease can make them. Then the govern- 
ment officer — this year Captain Charles Hobart, $d Inf. U. S. A. — accompanied by the 
Adjutant-General of the State and other general officers, makes his rounds of inspec- 




PREPARIXG FOR DRESS PARADE. 

tion. The general condition of the regiment and of each company is noted, also the 
personal appearance of each man, the condition of the arms, the uniforms and mil- 
itary bearing. The examination is a very thorough one and generally lasts for 
several hours. But in order not to make it too fatiguing for the men, they are given 




TROOP A ADVAXCIXG. 

rest when not actually being inspected and are dismissed as soon as they have been 
gone over. 

In the afternoon, about 3 o'clock, there comes the greatest ceremony of the week, 
the passing in review before the Governor and his Staff. The regiment is formed on 



MILITARY I. IKK IN CAMP. 



57 



the parade ground 
as if for dress parade, 
but after it has been 
turned over to the 
Colonel by the Ad- 
jutant, he wheels it 
into column of com- 
panies, and, led by 
the band, the men 
march from their 
position on the field 
opposite the review- 
ing party, in the form 
of a large rectangle, 
[last them, and so 
back to their original 

position. In the case of the larger regiments this means very nearly a half mile. 
And all the time the men are on their mettle, not a head must be turned, not a hand 
raised, everybody must be in step, with eyes to the front. The Governor stands in 
front of the reviewing paity, immaculate in top hat, frock coat and kid gloves, with 
his Staff a few paces behind him, in their uniforms, in accord with the uniform of the 




TROOP A Ill'KINC. DRILL. 



regiment, undress or full dress. 
an ex-Governor, United States 
officer, ex-officer of the Na- 
tional Guard, or some one to 
whom such an honor would 
not be amiss. The general 
officers of the regiment, and 
the company commanders and 
officers, salute in passing the 
Governor. After this cere- 
mony there is generally some 
manoeuvres by the regiment, 
and the whole thing is some- 
times watched by as many as 
a thousand spectators. 

On Friday, again, every- 



With the party is generally some distinguished person, 




A DRIVER OF BATTERY A. 



58 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




thing is changed ; hard work is again the order of the day. The principal feature 
is a sham battle, in which both officers and men take a lively interest, and for which 
the work of the first three days of the week has prepaied them. A part of the regi- 
ment is detailed to repre- 
sent the enemy, and is hid- 
den in the northern part ol 
the Reservation, its central 
location and outposts being 
entirely unknown to the 
main body of troops, which 
is to surprise and take 
them prisoners if possible. 
The whole plan of cam- 
paign is carefully prepared 
by the army officers and 
the Colonel of the regi- 
ment, and at the school of 

GETTING READY FOR MES! thc ffi ce rS early ill tllC 

morning the scheme is gone over in detail. When, as during the week when the Fourth 
Infantry is in camp, there is artillery and cavalry, the whole thing becomes more com- 
plicated and more instructive for the participants, and more interesting to the spectator. 
Twenty rounds of blank cartridges are dealt out to the men and they are instructed 
when to fire, and at the same time care for themselves, as if the ammunition of the 
enemy were of the ball variety. The fates of war are uncertain, and nowhere more so 
than in camp, for sometimes it is the enemy who escaped to the northern boundary of 
the Reservation, which is its place of safety, and sometimes even with prisoners from 
the larger force, and sometimes it is the enemy that is captured and brought triumph- 
antly into camp. However this may be, there is nothing of play in it all, and it is 
gone about as seriously as if it were real war, making these manoeuvres among the 
most practically instructive of the week. 

On Friday afternoon and Saturday morning there is battalion drill, with some 
volley firing by the companies, at 700, Soo and 1 ,000 yards, but all active military 
operations generally stop at about noon. During the afternoon camp is broken. The 
Quartermaster and his assistants have been busy during the morning in getting the 
baggage of the regiment down and aboard of the special train, and in leaving the camp 
in presentable condition for the regiment which may follow The Paymaster comes 
in from Madison Friday evening, and during the morning the men are paid off in good 



MILITARY LIFE IN CAMP. 



59 



coin of the realm, from which the camp expenses are paid by the Captains. With 
flying colors and headed by the band the regiment passes out of camp Saturday after- 
noon, in perfect step and order, as it came in on Sunday. Once at the station the 
companies are quickly assigned to their coaches, and with little confusion the regiment 
is on board. The companies, one by one, are dropped off at their homes and there 
dismissed for the time being. The year's camp for them is over. 




GOING HOME. 




w 

ft. 
P 

« 

a 

to 

o 
« 

O 



o 

o 
1-1 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE SOCIAL SIDE OF CAMP LIFE. 




BUT can 
feat in 



camp life also has its social 
ires, which go to make the 
work easier and relieve the arduous 
routine of duty. The social part of life 
at the Camp Douglas Military Reser- 
vation never interferes with the primary 
object of military training, nor does it 
ever pass the bounds of good discipline. 
While the sojourn of a regiment in 
1KI ""' A camp no longer resembles in any way a 

giant and prolonged picnic, there is just enough time left for social affairs and a reason- 
able amount of fun and jollity. The National Guard goes into camp about the hottest 
season of the year, and man}' members take this opportunity of securing an annual 
vacation, with small or no damaging results to their pocket book, and for many this is 
the only relaxation from duty during the year. In truth it would be hard to find a 
more profitable manner of taking a summer outing. The story of miserable weather, 
rattle-snakes and swamps at the Military Reservation, has now too long been refuted to 
need any attention here whatsoever. These slanders were originated at the time the 
Reservation was purchased by the State, partly from ignorance and partly from malice, 
but they were such gross misrepresentations that they could not survive very long. 
As a matter of fact, as has already been gone into rather more extensively, the Reser- 
vation, from a sanitary and picturesque standpoint, is all that could be desired. The 
air is clear and dry, the temperature, in the summer months, rarely abnormally hot, 
and usually cool enough for heavy blankets during the night. The beautiful scenery 
around the location of the camp, the artistic placing of the tented camp itself, nestling 
in between a group of steep bluffs, the constant moving of troops and general air of 
military life, all have that peculiar and buoyant effect on the visitor which one never 
forgets. 

For these and many other reasons, the Military Reservation at Camp Douglas is 

Gl 



62 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



peculiarly fitted to en- 
courage that social side 
of camp life which is most 
to be desired, and to hold 
in check those other and 
undesirable elements 
which might enter into a 
gathering of several hun- 
dred men, no matter how 
severe the discipline. This 
has been proved by the 
fact that in the years that 
the different regiments of 
the State have encamped 
there, there has been no 
serious case of disorder 
in camp. The village of 
Camp Douglas itself, 
being such a distance 
away and so small a 
place, in no way affects 

the life in camp, indeed is rarely visited by the men except when on duty. 

It is rather the rule than the exception for the officers to be accompanied by the 

women of their family, and a particular place in officers' row is assigned for their tents. 

Then again, Governor and Mrs. Peck have made it a practice to bring a party of young 

ladies with them each week during camp life, so that from Monday to Saturday there 




A SNAP-SHOT SCENE IN CAMP. 




BATTERY A IN ACTION. 



is no lack of women's society. Governor's Day, Thursday of each week, is not only 
a military, but also a great social occasion. When Wednesday evening comes, friends 
begin to pour into camp, but the greatest crowd, of course, does not put in an appear- 



THE SOCIAL SIDE OF CAMP LIFE. 



63 



ance until Thursday morning. Then they are arriving all day, until, at dress parade, 
the spectators that throng the slope from headquarters and company streets down to 




THE CROWD ON GOVERNOR'S DAY. 

the parade ground, far outnumber the men who take part in the ceremonies they have 
come to witness. Nor is this pilgrimage to camp confined to visitors from neighbor- 
ing towns and cities. 
Friends of the different 
companies come from 
the most distant part of 
the State to see for 
themselves, and take a 
day's pride in the gal- 
lant institution too 
often made light of by 
the ignorant. Not on- 
ly on Governor's Day, 
but during all the week, 
the ceremonies of dress 
parade and guard 
mount are made con- 
siderable social feat- 
ures, and even the most 
constant visitor to 
camp would as soon 
think of deliberately 
missing his dinner as cleaning up for inspection. 




64 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



either one of these. The Adjutant's call is a signal for all other occupations to cease 
for the moment. Martial airs of a brass band in a city are difficult to ignore, but in 
camp they are simply irresistible. The most popular vantage ground from which to 
watch the different manoeuvres has always been Signal Rock, directly east from the 
usual parade ground, and on a fine evening many defy the steep climb to see the 
impressive sight below, the sun descending behind Chinaman's Rock and the flag go 
down at the sound of the sunset gun. 

Each regiment brings with it to camp its band, usually immediately connected 
with the regiment, and after dress parade there is always a concert in the band-stand 
in front of Headquarters. This is again the sign for a social gathering, which lasts 




TROOP A, DISMOUNTED, AT REST. 

until tattoo is sounded. A few minutes later all is quiet and soldiers and guests are 
resting for another busy day. 

There is always a lot of innate fun and healthy animal spirits in a lot of young 
men like those who form the Wisconsin National Guard, and these find vent during 
camp in different social organizations, many of which are carried back home and 
become the permanent means of fostering good-fellowship and bonds of intimate 
friendship. The Fourth Regiment, from Milwaukee, is probably more prolific in 
gatherings of this kind than the others, for many and evident reasons. The chilis, il 
they may be called such, have not only a social purpose for combining those who are 
congenial to one another, arranging harmless gatherings and " blow-outs," but many 



THE SOCIAL SIDE OF CAMP LIFE. 



65 



have, as their principal code and law, the idea of aiding discipline and maintaining 
good order in camp. "The Neighbors," for instance, may betaken as a sample for 
this sort of thing. This organization is formed from members of Companies A, F and 
G, of the 4th Infantry. It has a little place of its own outside of the Reservation, called 
" The Neighbors' Acre," and there the ceremonies of initiation and other forms are 
gone through with, but any member who becomes boisterous and whose conduct is 
prejudicial to good order and discipline, is at once expelled. 

The most extensive organization, however, which flourishes in the Wisconsin 
National Guard, is, without doubt, the Paster Club. This was founded soon after the 




A PICTl'RESQUE VIEW OF CAMP. 

choice of the property at Camp Douglas as the Military Reservation, and the founder 
was Capt. Philip Reade, U. S. A., the father of rifle-practice in the Wisconsin National 
Guard. The club takes its name from the little stickers that are used to paste over holes 
made by the rifle-bullets in the targets, and the motto, repeated on all possible occasions, 
gives the purpose of the club. It is that " Rifles are made to shoot, rather than to drill 
with." The gatherings, always held once a year at camp and sometimes oftener, have 
been always presided over by Capt. Reade, the Grand High Paster. They are purely 
social in their nature, no business being done except the initiation of candidates to Paster- 
d( mi, which is performed by putting a black paster somewhere on the new member's face 



6G 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



after he has declared to be in accord with the one great principle of the club. Then 
there is the cry : " Brother Pasters, what is the word ?" and it comes, " P-A-S-T-E-R, 
PASTER." Then the ceremony over, the candidate is given but one warning, that 
should his paster come off during the session, by accident or design, he will be pasted 
by every other member present. The headquarters of the Paster Club are in one room 
of the Range-house, where all documents are kept firmly tacked to the walls. It is one 
of the sights of camp to look over the letters and pictures, and above all, the sig- 
natures of the members and their totems, done in pencil on the soft pine partitions. 

So much for the social side of camp life. It is but incidental to a week of hard 
work and but makes it easier. It never goes too far nor is it allowed to interfere with 
the more serious part of life on the Reservation. It is merely an agreeable compli- 
ment to what is otherwise a rather serene tour of duty. 




OFF DUTY. 



CHAPTER V. 



TARGET PRACTICE. 




AT the Second Annual Convention of the officers 
of the Wisconsin National Guard, held at 
Madison, Feb. 14, 1883, Lieutenant F. A. Boutelle, 
1st Cavalry, U. S. A., himself an acknowledged 
authority on the subject, read a paper on " Rifle 
Practice." This was the first awakening the Na- 
tional Guard of the State had to that idea subse- 
quently laid down and maintained with such en- 
thusiasm by Captain Philip Readc, U.S. A., the real 
father of rifle instruction in the Wisconsin National 
Guard, that "rifles are primarily to shoot with, 
secondly to drill with, and the lowest use to which 
they can be put is for display purposes." Lieu- 
tenant Boutelle's paper was a revelation to many 
of the officers present. Prior to that time little or 
no attention had been given to systematic rifle 
practice in the National Guard. There was no uniform system of instruction, 
often no instruction whatsoever, and if it happened that certain members of a 
company could hit what they shot at at 200 yards, it was because they had practiced 
on deer or bear, and that with every other rifle but the regulation Springfield. Indeed, 
so deficientwas the National Guard of Wisconsin (and itwas not alone in the National 
Guards ofthe country)that Adjutant-General Chapman wrote in his report, Sept. 30, 1 884: 
"The weak point in the instruction of our State force is in the matter of rifle practice. 
It can be safely said that not one man in twenty has any fair knowledge of the shooting 
qualities of his rifle." These were certainly strong words, and from one perfectly 
familiar with the Guards in every respect, but the actual condition of affairs seems to 
have warranted them. 

Again, in January, 1 887, at the Sixth Annual Convention of the officers of the 
Wisconsin National Guard, Captain Philip Reade, an enthusiast on the subject of rifle 



COL. GURDON H. WIN'SOR. 
GKN. INSPHCTOR SMALL ARMS' PRACTICE. 



OS 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



practice, and Inspector of Rifle Practice of the Division of the Missouri, read a most 
interesting paper on " Rifle Practice," and with such enthusiasm was his essay received, 
that on the following day he was asked to give a talk, before all the members present, 
on the subject of primary rifle instruction — that is, gallery work and the elements of 
sighting, etc. These two talks were, without doubt, the starting point of rifle work in 
Wisconsin, and it was about Captain Reade's first introduction to the officers and men 
of the Wisconsin National Guard, whom he has served so faithfully ever since, and by 
whom he is held in such reverence and esteem. Of the effect of Captain Reade's work 
that year. Captain Graham, Inspector of Small Arms' Practice of the Third Regiment, 
wrote, in a most admirable paper, the next season, the following: 

When, five years ago, Lieu- 
tenant Boutelle read before this 
convention his paper on rifle 
practice, he awoke in the breast 
of many a company commander 
an anient desire to put into 
practice his instructions, and in 
many an armory the gallery tar- 
get and outfit recommended by 
him has ever since held its place ; 
but the practical results were 
meager, and for four years 
longer, behind Minnesota, Mich- 
igan, Iowa, Illinois, and nearly 
every other Northern State, the 
National Guard of Wisconsin 
confined its use of the rifle to 
the Manual of Arms. It re- 
mained for Lieutenant Reade, 
by his admirable paper of last winter, complete even to detail, primer-like in its simplicity, 
yet glowing with the enthusiasm of the specialist, to kindle anew the embers and to fan 
into a flame our zeal for instruction in the great use for which the rifle was intended, and 
hereafter Wisconsin will be represented at the gatherings of those skilled in the use of the 
military rifle. 

That year Captain Reade was detailed by the War Department for service with the 
Wisconsin National Guard, in relation to rifle practice, and he went to the camp of the 
I bird Regiment at Menominee, and literally went to work in his shirt-sleeves, sur- 
rounded by a crowd of young fellows, detailed from each company, teaching them the 
elements of rifle work. He visited other regiments during the season, and his work 




TARGET PRACTICE AT 200 YARDS. 



TARGET PRACTICE. 



69 



was productive of many good results. Major-General George Crook, at the earnest 
solicitation of the officers of the Guard, who had listened to his papers on the subject 
of rifle practice, ordered Captain Reade to the encampment of the Third, from June 12 
to June 15. His purpose was to instruct a few selected men who might afterwards act 
as company instructors. .About forty men were taken into his care for this time. 
There were preparatory drills, estimating distances, firing with reduced charges, 
firing with blank-cartridges, and individual skirmish practice. As Captain Reade says 
in his report of the encampment: 

Every effort was made to impress the men with the knowledge of the fai t that the 
rudiments of successful range firing can be acquired without any facilities or conveniences, 
or buildings, or "range," other 
than those open at all times and 
places to every company of the 
St. ile National Guard. 

Heretofore there had been 
a general opinion, in a vague 
way, that unless a complete 
range, with unlimited ammu- 
nition, was provided, no prac- 
tical instruction with the 
Springfield rifle could be ac- 
complished. Captain Reade 
also instructed the men to act 
as scorers and to announce the 
shots made, and if misses, the 
nature of them — too high, too 
low, to the side, etc. It was 
discovered in this instruction 
that main- men who, through practice of one kind and another, had become fairly 
proficient in fixed distance firing, were woefully deficient at skirmish runs, which, after 
all, is the important thing as far as actual warfare is concerned. 

Captain Reade subsequently visited the camp of the Fourth Regiment (then a 
battalion), and went through practically the same course of instruction. There were 
two men each from Companies A, B, C and D, and several volunteers, making alto- 
gether some fifteen men. In this camp the custom of reading out the scores at dress 
parade was first established, a practice which has been continued ever since. Of the 
work of Captain Reade, at these camps, General Chapman said: "I confess I am 
without words to express my appreciation of the real worth to our State force of this 




TWO POSITIONS AT 300 VARUS 



70 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL OUARD. 



course of instruction under Lieutenant Reade. I am confident that in no other way 
could we have obtained such good at so little cost." 

Such enthusiasm had been aroused by this preliminary work in rifle instruction 
that a great step forward was attempted. This was nothing more nor less than a rifle 
camp at the Reservation near Camp Douglas, which, through the efforts of a few 
officers, had recently been purchased, with the intention of turning it over to the State 
as soon as an appropriation could be passed by the Legislature. September 3, 1888, 
Adjutant-General Chapman issued the order for the camp. It stated that a camp of 
instruction in rifle practice would be established near Camp Douglas, Wis., September 
17 to 22 inclusive, 1 888, and that the camp was to be known as Camp " Philip Reade," 
in honor of the man who had done so much for rifle work in the State. There was a 
detail sent from each company and the camp was placed in command of Major T. J. 








K*-* 



'-^M^ 




- 



RIFLE PRACTICE AT 300 YARDS. 



George. Captain Graham was appointed Executive Range Officer. The range officers 
were Captain Winsor, Captain McNeil, Captain Seaman and Captain Doe. Major 
Curran was Quartermaster and Ordnance Officer and Captain Ludington, Commissary. 
This tour of duty, as stated in the order, was mainly for instruction and intended to 
pave the way for annual State competitions. 

A pit, or markers' shelter, of the conventional cross-section, 300 feet long, was 
constructed, eight revolving " Laidley " targets were erected, and a standard 600-yard 
range put in fairly good order. Everything was in shape, and firing began fourteen days 
after the order had been issued. Captain Reade was in charge of the camp of instruc- 
tion. Considerable credit belongs to Captain George Graham, Major T.J. George and 
Captain George J. Schoeffel, for the work that was done in getting the camp in shape. 



*!™|" * 




.?^-ton-i' n T € He,' C--(^. 



Captain Philip Reade. 



TIIIKU INFANTRY. U. S A. 



72 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




Several medals were of- 
fered for this first com- 
petition, including the 
" Fortrie" Medal, yet be- 
ing contested for, the gift 
of Sen. John L. Mitchell. 
When the camp was over, 
Adjutant-General Chap- 
man, enthusiastic of the 
results, wrote : 

It is now necessary 
that a very considerable 
portion of the individual 
instruction of the soldier 
should be in the line of rifle 
firing. Without it the man 
cannot hope to develop, 
even approximately, the full power of his weapon. * * * All that is now needed is a good 
supply of ammunition and suitable and safe ranges to enable our citizen soldiers to lit them- 
selves to use these weapons effectively. These arc absolute necessities, without which Wis- 
consin cannot keep pace with other States in this vital requisite of soldierly training. 

He also recommended that at all future regimental encampments, each man 
should have a chance to shoot at 200, 300, 500 and 600 yards, and that he should 
have previous instruction in a gallery. lie recommended, as a further encouragement 
to rifle work, that the State give financial and other aid to civilian rifle clubs, as is done 
in other countries. 

The result of the first rifle camp was most encouraging. There was one man 
present from each company in the State, and under the circumstances some very fair 
scores were made, although it was more of a camp of instruction than anything else. 
In company competition, two men represented each command, each man firing ten 
shots at 200, 300, 500 and 600 yards. The result was as follows : 



SHOOTING "LYING PRONE" AT 600 YARDS. 



Company I, 3d Regiment, 
Company C, 1st Regiment, 
Company E, 3d Regiment. 
Company K, 3d Regiment, 
Company D, 3d Regiment, 



3*6 

306 

3°4 
296 
291 



I lattery, - 

Company E, 2d Regiment, 
Company C, 3d Regiment, 
Company G, 2d Regiment, 
Company C, 2d Regiment, 



289 

2G2 

-57 
257 



Private F. L. French, Company I, 3d Regiment, made the highest score: $J , 37, 
47, 47 ; a total of 168. 



TARGET PRACTICE. 



73 



In the regimental competition, each man fired ten shots at 500 and 600 yards. 
Owing to the lack of time, there was no shooting at 200 and 500 yards in this event. 
The result follows : 

Regiment. Men, 

Third 10 

First 9 

Second S 

Fourth 6 

33 



200 Yards. 


500 Yards. 


Total. 


Per Cent 


194 


343 


537 


7 1.6 


'5 2 


3 2 3 


475 


7°-3 


118 


274 


39 2 


65-3 


56 


113 


169 


37'3 



520 



I >°53 



>573 



63-5 



The officers present also engaged in a contest at all the ranges, in which Captain 
D. \V. Cheney came out ahead. He scored 21, 19, 18, 23 — 81 out of a possible 100. 
Lieutenant W. A. Grimmer, Lieutenant T. A. Thorbus, Captain M. A. Newman, Cap- 
tain G. H. Winsor, Lieutenant R. A. Richards, Colonel W. H. Patton, Lieutenant 
Andrew Kluppak, Captain George A. Ure, Captain G. H. McNeil and Captain H. M. 
Seaman, also took part, and ranked in the order given. 

The camp over, the men returned to their regiments and companies, like so many 
disciples, filled with enthusiasm for rifle shooting and practical instruction, and con- 
vinced that the Springfield was not such a bad weapon for hitting purposes after all. 
Adjutant-General Chapman was present during the encampment and lent his aid and 
encouragement in many ways. At that time it must not be understood that the 
ranges and appliances were in anything like the condition that the men find them 
to-day. Very little of the underbrush had been cleared away, and the Reservation was 
more or less of a wilderness. Still tremendous good had been accomplished in a 
direction where the National Guard of Wisconsin had always been deficient, and a 
permanent start was made to- 
wards uniform instruction in 
that purpose of the rifle for 
which it was originally con- 
structed. 

The effect of the rifle 
camp in 1888 was such, that 
the Adjutant-General of the 
State felt called upon to note, 
in his report two years later, 
that such widespread interest 
in small arms' firing was so 
suddenly developed by the 

F 




KANE AND TUCKER, AT 600 YARDS. 



74 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



purchase of the permanent camping 
grounds near Camp Douglas, and the 
facilities there for target work, that the 
State had found it necessary to curtail 
expenses in other lines of improvement 
on the Reservation, and use all the 
money it possibly could towards im- 
proving the ranges, acquiring ammuni- 
tion to meet the demands of the Guard 
in this particular. Under this expense, 
the Reservation acquired such a repu- 
tation for excellent ranges, that, both in 
1889 and in 1890, the Annual Competi- 
tions of the Division of the Missouri 
were held there, and in this latter year 
the shooting of the United States Army 
Team and the Cavalry Competition was 
also held there. During both these 
seasons the Guard also took a most 
lively interest in rifle practice, and for 
the first time there was systematic in- 
struction given the different regiments 
in this particular. Both in 1889 and 
1890, Captain Philip Reade was or- 
dered to serve with the Wisconsin National Guard in camp, and to give instruction 
in target practice, and under his tuition some wonderful results were accomplished. 
During these seasons no practicable effort to advance this branch of a soldier's 
equipment for actual service was omitted by either Captain Reade or the regimental 
inspectors of small arms' practice. The standard was made the same as in the United 
States army. Weapon, ammunition, distance, objectives, qualifications for sharp- 
shooter and marksman were identical, and these latter so much higher than was at 
that time customary among the National Guards of the country, that decorations 
were exceedingly rare. In 1889, three men qualified as sharp-shooters and fifteen as 
marksmen. In 1890 the figures were twenty-eight and thirty. 

As an instance of what had been accomplished in two years, it may not be out of 
place to quote some results of the encampment of 1 890, as far as rifle work is con- 
cerned. Below are given the figures of the number of men in camp from each regi- 




A SHAVE IN CAMP. 



TARGET PRACTICE. 



ment, the number that shot at all four ranges of 200, 300, 500 and 600 yards ■ the 
number that were allowed to shoot at less and those that did not shoot at all ; also 
the number of men that, from some reason or other, failed to shoot on the skirmish 
runs. The table is as follows : 



Regiment. 



Shot at 4 Less than 4, Did Not Did Not 
Men in Camp. Ranges. Ranges. Shoot. Skirmish. 



172 


77 


93 


2 3 I 


154 


S 


3 6 S 


3 6 5 


3 6 3 


38 


22 


86 


189 


74 


3 1 


7i 




39 


1 


n 



First 342 

Second 524 

Third 423 

Fourth 294 

Squadron 40 

The great number of men in the Second Regiment that had no practice at all, is 
accounted for by the fact that they did not camp on the State Reservation until two 
years later, and the town whose guests they were that year evidently did not have very 
elaborate range facilities. 

The next important step forward in the matter of target practice, was the forma- 
tion of a Military Rifle Association among the neighboring States of the Northwest, and 
in this Wisconsin, for so many years behind these same neighbors, took a foremost 
hand. In the fall of 1889, a call was issued to the Adjutant-Generals of Illinois, Minne- 
sota, Iowa, Michigan and Indiana, expressing a desire that " a plan might be devised, 
whereby its National Guard and that of the neighboring States could be brought to 
pursue a substantially similar course of instruction and practice in the important mat- 
ter of small arms' firing, with similar rules for qualifications as sharp-shooters and 
marksmen, or otherwise, including some scheme for annual or bi-annual inter-State 
competition by riflemen, selected upon the basis of actual and current performance in 
the line of prescribed duty, much as in the regular army." The call met the approval 
of those to whom it was addressed, and a meeting was accordingly held in Chicago, 
in January, 1 890. Repre- 
sentatives were present 
from Wisconsin, Illinois, 
Michigan and Minnesota, 
and encouraging letters 
were received from offi- 
cers of the Indiana and 
Iowa National Guards, 
who were unable to be 
present. At this meeting 
the " Military Rifle Asso- two other positions at 600 yards. 




76 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

ciation of the National Guard of the Northwest " was formed, and the membership 
limited to the Adjutant-Generals and Inspectors of Small Arms' Practice of the several 
States included in the call. 

The fall of that same year witnessed the First Inter-State Rifle Contest in which 
Wisconsin had taken part. It was held at the Reservation at Camp Douglas, from 
September 8 to September 12. Ten men from each State, chosen from the various 
regimental teams, were the contestants, and the event caused widespread interest 
among the National Guard. Although Wisconsin did not come out at the head of the 
list, as might have been expected, still the record made was an enviable one, consid- 
ering the short time devoted to rifle practice. The scores, as officially announced, 
were as follows: Minnesota, 2,384; Wisconsin, 2,378; Illinois, 2,366 ; Iowa, 2,296; 
Michigan, 2,225. Of the twelve best scores, Wisconsin made five, Minnesota three, 
Illinois two and Iowa and Michigan each one. The following table gives the scores 
made by the Wisconsin team, at fixed distances and skirmish, as well as the relative 
position of each man in the fifty contestants: 

Name. Fixed Distance. Skirmish. Total. Relative 

Rank. 

Sergt. E. K. Envin 162 99 261 5 

Lieut. W. W. Warren 171 SS 259 6 

Lieut. T. J. Rogers 153 105 258 7 

Lieut. C. E. Fero 153 104 257 8 

Lieut. W. A. Grimmer 157 92 249 11 

Sergt. James Gibson 144 100 244 15 

Sergt. W. P. Ashley 140 84 224 34 

Capt. W. F. Winsor 143 72 215 42 

Priv. M. W. Burns 161 52 213 44 

Priv. R. A. Kane 158 40 198 47 

Private Kane has since risen to be one of the best shots in the entire National 
Guard. There was some dispute before the contest, over the Washburn trophy, previ- 
ously contested for by Minnesota and Wisconsin, and both States agreed to have the 
award depend on the outcome of this shoot. Of course it went to Minnesota. Gov- 
ernor Hoard, as a further encouragement to individual work, put up a handsome gold 
trophy, to go to the individual man making the highest score. Sergeant Schuky, of 
Iowa, with a total of 270, won the prize. Captain Reade was in charge of the camp 
and contests. The result of this inter-State affair was, that the Legislature was asked 
for an appropriation of $1,500, to take a rifle team to other States for the contests, as 
it was evident that the contests could not always be held on our grounds. 

That, however, the National Guard of the State was yet far from perfection, as far 
as rifle practice goes, in 1890, is shown in the report of Colonel Mason, U. S. A., who 



TARGET PRACTICE. 




RETURNING FROM TARGET PRACTICE. 



in that year was detailed to 
inspect the Guard. He felt 
called upon to say in his 
official report : 

Some of the time was 
wasted and the ammunition 
thrown away, owing to lack 
of previous instruction in the 
company armories of the 
men, in sighting, drill and 
gallery practice. * * * 
Gallery practice is observed 
in some degree throughout 
the year. I do not under- 
stand that it is practiced by 
all the companies, nor that 
the instruction is thorough in 
all cases. 

From 1 890 to 1 894, the 
impetus given to small 

arms' practice in the State has not been allowed to die out, and it has, indeed, been 
made the prominent feature of camp life, and many a company is justly proud of 
its home range and rifle gallery. The results are easily seen in the scores made 
on the Reservation ranges. During the past season of 1894, but a very small per- 
centage of the men in each regiment did not have a chance to shoot, at least at the 
200-yard range, and many of those that were found deficient at this distance, were 
given a chance to familiarize themselves with their weapons at fifty and 100 yards, 
thus giving them more confidence in themselves and a desire to improve. The idea 
is growing more and more in favor that it is better to spend a lot of ammunition 
and time in making the great mass of the men fair shots, than in turning out a small 
class of experienced marksmen, and to this end almost all the work in camp is 
devoted. 

The plan, as now practiced, is to give every man not in active duty in other 
directions, a chance to shoot. One battalion of a regiment is taken out at a time. 
The men are divided into shooting squads, and if the battalion is a very large one it is 
divided into two parties, one on each of the best ranges. The men then fire each ten 
shots at 200 yards, and then retire to give place to the others of their squad. If a 
man fails to score twenty at 200 yards, he is dropped out. When all have finished at 
200 yards, firing is begun at 300 yards. Here the scores of the two distances are 



78 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

added together, and if a man makes less than forty at the two, he is dropped out. 
That is, if he, for instance, makes thirty at 200 yards and nine at 300, his total is 
thirty-nine, which bars him from going back. Should he, however, make twenty-two, 
for example, at 200, and but eighteen at 300, his score would be sufficient to allow 
him to shoot at 500 and 600 yards. Beyond 300 yards all the contestants remaining 
shoot at both 500 and 600 yards. Then the highest seventy are selected and they 
make the skirmish runs, and from these the highest ten, after a further contest, con- 
stitute the regimental team. The four regimental teams, after the regular regi- 
mental encampments are over, meet again on the Reservation, at what is known as the 
" Rifle Camp," and contest for places on the State team for inter-State contests. By 
this plan, men who have had such little instruction that they cannot make twenty out 
of a possible fifty at 200 yards, are at once eliminated and turned over for further 
practice in the art of sighting, etc., at shorter ranges, and no unnecessary ammunition 
is wasted, while the more expert are given an opportunity to get further practice. 
The scores made at both the preliminary shooting and the contest for places on the 
regimental and State teams, are kept in a most accurate and complete manner by the 
Regimental Inspector of Small Arms' Practice, and by the General Inspector. They 
are consolidated, averages for company and regiment are deducted, and from these 
reports made to the Adjutant-General. 

Marksmen, sharp-shooters and distinguished marksmen, a class recently estab- 
lished in accordance with a practice that obtains in the army, are determined by a 
certain percentage that it is necessary to reach, and are announced each year by the 
Adjutant-General. A complete list of the men so honored will be found in the 
Appendix. They wear a special badge of honor. 

There are various medals and trophies offered each year, and these lend spice to 
individual, company and regimental contests. 



CHAPTER VI. 



ACTIVE SERVICE OE THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




CAPTAIN ELI.IS SIGHTIXG A GATLING GUN 



IT has been the good fortune 
of the State of Wisconsin, 
that it has rarely been neces- 
sary to call upon the National 
Guard to aid the civil author- 
ities in the quelling of riots, or 
other internal disturbances. 
Although, in many instances, 
calls for this purpose have 
been made on the various Gov- 
ernors, in the majority of cases 
cool heads have prevailed and 
bloodshed spared. In only 
one case was there any serious 
conflict, and then the behavior 
of the Commander-in-Chief and the forces under his command, were such as to de- 
serve and bring forth the unstinted praise of the entire country. I refer to the Mil- 
waukee Riots of the spring of 1886. In the putting down of that trouble, Governor 
Rusk made a reputation which has been frequently recalled in later years, and partic- 
ularly during the Railroad Riots in Chicago and elsewhere during the past summer. 
During all the spring of 1886 there had been considerable labor agitation, 
decidedly tinged with anarchy, all over the country. Mass meetings were being held 
and the great Eight-hour Movement was on foot. Foreign anarchists saw in these 
signs a chance to further their objects, and the red flag and incendiary speeches were 
often a part of the meetings of orderly organized labor. Milwaukee had its share, 
although up to the first days of May there had been nothing to excite the opposition 
of the authorities. Chicago, however, was come to be the "cyclone center of anarchy," 

and Milwaukee was on the outer edge of the storm. The latter days of April were 

79 



80 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

full of unrest on the part of the laboring masses. The works of the Plankinton Packing 
Co. were shut down, as well as those of various smaller institutions. Those who were 
honestly contented and ready to work, were driven away by mobs or threatened by 
their emissaries. It was against the big Allis and Bay View plants that most of their 
spleen was directed. On Sunday, May 2, there was an immense eight-hour-day 
parade in Milwaukee, in which some 4,000 men took part, and on Monday morning a 
mob of some 1,500 men went to the West Milwaukee shops of the St. Paul road and 
forced the operatives there, some 1,800 in number, to lay down their tools. This was 
a warning of things to come. The Governor was notified that trouble was expected 
and the National Guard troops were held in readiness. Monday evening the Governor, 
accompanied by his Adjutant-General, arrived in Milwaukee from Madison on a special 
train. A consultation was held that night at the Plankinton House, between the Gover- 
nor, Mayor Wallber, Sheriff Paschen and Chief-of-Police Ries. The various companies 
in the city were notified that, in case of an emergency, the riot alarm (five double strokes) 
would be rung from every fire bell in the city, and, indeed, many of the men had been 
sleeping at the armories for some days past. At 8:30 the following morning, Tuesday, 
the expected alarm rang out. The Mayor and Sheriff knew that there was to be 
trouble on the South Side, and were convinced that the forces at their disposal would 
be insufficient. They requested State aid. Company A was the first to form at the 
Broadway Armory, and in less than fort}- minutes was joined by Company D. Com- 
panies B and C reported by telephone from their armories that they were ready. 
The Light Horse Squadron, under Captain Schoeffel, was already assembled and 
waiting for orders. Twenty rounds of ball cartridges were issued to each man. At 
the same time the following telegram was sent to all company commanders of the 
First Regiment: "Order for active service possible; notify men to be ready to 
respond quickly, if ordered." 

This telegram was followed later by orders to Captains Solliday and Helm, of 
Company I, Second Regiment, and Company I, First Regiment, respectively, to report 
with their commands at Milwaukee as soon as possible. Orders were also issued to 
Lieutenant W. B. Roberts, commanding the First Light Battery, to assemble thirty 
men of the command at the armory and report to Colonel Charles King, who was to 
assume command of the Squadron and Battery. Difficulties were now threatening at 
Bay View, and at 10:35 orders were issued to Major George P. Traeumer, command- 
ing the Fourth battalion, to take his command there at once by the Northwestern 
railway, and to report to the Sheriff. The Battery, under an escort of cavalry com- 
manded by Lieutenant Auer, also brought their guns from the Farwell Avenue to the 
Broadway Armory. Before noon the Adjutant-General had telegraphed to every com- 




Jeremiah M. Rusk. 



EX-OOVERNOH OF WISCONSIN. 



82 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



pany commander in the First Regiment to bring his command to Milwaukee at once, 
supplied with ball-cartridges. At 3 o'clock, Companies F, G and I of the First, and 
Company I of the Second Regiment, arrived at the St. Paul Depot and were at once 
escorted to the armory. Colonel Lewis was ordered to take command of the entire 
First Regiment and Company I of the Second, and the following disposition of the 
troops was determined on and carried out during the afternoon : Colonel Lewis took 
up his headquarters at the Broadway Armory, and commanded the reserve there of 
Companies F, G, H and I, First Regiment. Lieutenant-Colonel J. B. LaGrange, with 




A COMPANY INSPECTION. 



Companies E and K, First Regiment, was stationed at the Allis works. Major Allan 
F. Caldwell commanded the posts at the West Milwaukee shops of the St. Paul road, 
with Companies C and D of the First Regiment. The Fourth Battalion, with Com- 
panies A and B of the First Regiment, were stationed at Bay View, in accordance with 
the order already mentioned. 

It was about 10:30 that the Fourth Battalion, under Major Traeumer, took the 
special train for the scene of the most active disturbance at Bay View. Companies 
A and D were joined at the Elizabeth Street Station by Company C, and Company 
B arrived there about an hour later. As soon as the men got off the train they were 
met with jeers and curses and a shower of stones and sticks from the rioters. Captain 
Borchardt was struck on the side of the head with a stone, but fortunately was but 



ACTIVE SERVICE OF THE WISCONSIN, NATIONAL GUARD. 



83 



slightly injured. The companies were 
marched through the crowd to the front of 
the mill-yard. The riot act had already 
been read by the Sheriff, but without result. 
Company B, the last to arrive, was followed 
into the mill-yard with a volley of scrap- 
iron and a few revolver shots were fired, 
when the rearmost men of the company, 
without proper order, turned and fired over 
the heads of the crowd. No one was in- 
jured. Company A was then stationed 
about fifty yards inside the main gate, Com- 
panies B and C along the south, and Com- 
pany D along the north fence. The after- 
noon was spent by the mob in throwing 
stones over the fence at the men, but there 
was no active movement on their part until 
about 7 o'clock in the evening, when two 
box-cars were set on fire. Company A was 
ordered out and succeeded in extinguishing 

.in j ■• r r it i FUST OFF INSPECTION. 

the names, and arresting a lew of the mob. 

All this time the men on duty had had nothing to eat, but about 8 o'clock potions ot 
hot coffee, bread and sausage were distributed. At 9 o'clock the two companies 
from the First Regiment arrived, Company A under command of Captain Newman, 
and Company B under Captain Frederick H. Koebelin. That night a detail of sixteen 
men from each company guarded the temporary camp. Although the night was 
without stirring events, it was very cold, and the National Guard suffered a great 
deal of discomfort from the lack of blankets and overcoats. 

That night occurred the Haymarket riots in Chicago, in which several policemen 
were killed, as the result of incendiary anarchist speeches ; the city was in an uproar 
and the police well nigh overcome. The tidings of this anarchist propaganda reach- 
ing the Milwaukee brethren in the morning, incited them to make a more formidable 
display, and at 8:30 word reached Major Traeumer that a mob, between 1,500 and 
2,000 strong, was gathering at the Polish Church, corner of Grove and Mitchell streets, 
and was advancing up South Bay Street, determined to clean out the militia, and set 
fire to the mills. The mob seemed to be without a leader, but at its head was a tri- 
colored flag, borne by one Casimir Dudek. Major Traeumer ordered the long-roll 




84 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

sounded, and the line of troops was quickly formed, with Company A on the left and 
Company B immediately on its right. Major Traeumer allowed the mob to approach 
a certain distance, and then advancing, waived his hand and sword for them to halt, 
but without avail. Major Traeumer was merciful. Had they been allowed to come 
much nearer the slaughter would have been terrible. Seeing that they were bent on 
destruction of life and property and would take no warning, when they were about 
250 yards off Major Traeumer gave Company A of the Fourth, and Company B of 
the First, the command to fire. It was instantly obeyed and seeing the effect of the 
first volley, the command, " Cease Firing," was given. When the smoke cleared 
away, a number of the rioters were found lying on the ground, either dead or wounded, 
and the balance were crawling and running to places of safety. But they did not run 
far, and, dazed by the unexpected action of the soldiers, but still full of fight, assembled 
at the yards of Hendee & Co. Major Traeumer, seeing this, ordered the gates of the 
mill-yard thrown open, and crossing the bridge, the command was formed in line of 
battle. The mob, now thoroughly frightened, broke ranks and fled. The action of 
Major Traeumer was immediately reported to the Governor, through Adjutant Falk, 
who, in return, received the characteristic command that should the mob appear again, 
to " fight them." The effect of that one volley was five killed and four wounded. 
Uudek, who had carried the flag, had been evidently the mark of more than one rifle, 
for when picked up it was found that he had been hit in the arm and his lower jaw 
had been carried away by two bullets. Doubtless many others were slightly injured, 
but were hurried away and cared for by their friends. A sad feature of the encounter 
was the killing of a man who took no part in the disturbances, but was in his garden 
some distance off. The Mayor had, however, the previous day, issued two proclamations, 
urging all peaceful citizens to remain at home and keep away from the scenes of the 
troubles. 

There were several false alarms that afternoon and evening, and the line was 
formed three different times to repel an attack, but the mob did not show up. The 
men were quartered that night in the engine-room, box cars and round-house, and 
although the night was cold, were more comfortable. The Commissary Department, 
thanks to Captain Falk, was now in better running order, and the men more contented. 
Nothing of importance happened the following da}-, and the trip of Governor Rusk in 
an open carriage, under an escort of the Light Horse Squadron, through the riotous 
district, convinced him that the trouble was over there. 

There was an unruly gathering that morning, May 5th, at Sixth Street, and 
Colonel Lewis, with Companies G, H and I, of the First Regiment, went there to 
assist the dispersing of the crowd, which was done without violence, and at noon the 



ACTIVE SERVICE OE THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



85 



men were returned to the Armory. As a further precaution, however, against any 
renewed outbreak on the part of the mob, Colonel Patton, of the Second Regiment, 
and all the company commanders, were notified to be ready for active service at any 
moment ; but they were never needed. Governor Rusk requested from the War 
Department, and was at once expressed from the Rock Island arsenal, 50,000 ball- 
cartridges. 

During that afternoon there were various reports of the mob's intended movement 
towards the West Milwaukee Shops and the Stock Yards, and everything was got 




SKIKMISHKNS ADVANCING. 



ready to receive them. At 2 o'clock they were reported at the Milwaukee Garden, 
and Colonel King was ordered there with Companies G and H, First Regiment and 
the Squadron. They returned to the Armory at 4:30, everything being then quiet. 
Rumors were also rife that an attempt was to be made to burn the residence of 
Major Traeumer, and a guard of twelve men from the Battery, under Sergeant Dally, 
was stationed there until relieved on May 8, at the request of Major Traeumer himself. 
There was no further disturbances of any magnitude, and gradually the air began 
to clear, and as fast as possible the commands were relieved. Lieutenant-Colonel 
Grange, with Companies F, G and II, First Regiment, relieved the Fourth battalion 
at Bay View, and it was dismissed. On May 10, Companies E, F, G and H, First 
Regiment, Company I, Second Regiment, the Squadron and Battery were relieved 
from duty. The following day Companies C, D, I and K, were also relieved. Com- 
panies A and B remained at Bay View until the 13th, when they also were dismissed 



86 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

and the campaign was over. It is pleasant to note that through the co-operation of 
State Treasurer McFetridge, the men received their pay before leaving Milwaukee. 

General Chapman, in his next report, drew many inferences from the work of 
the National Guard during the trouble, and made a strong appeal for more thorough 
equipment for the men and better pay. What he thought of the performance of the 
National Guard in those trying days, can best be learned from the following abstract 
from a General Order issued by him, May 15, 1886: 

The Commander-in-Chief takes pleasure in expressing to the officers and men of the 
Wisconsin National Guard, recently on duty in Milwaukee, his high appreciation of the 
promptness, efficiency and faithfulness with which they responded to his order to active 
service. Called as you were from the varied occupations of civil life, at a moment's notice, 
you furnished with almost incredible celerity the solid, soldierly, disciplined force, without 
which your Commander-in-Chief would have been unable to restore the reign of law and order 
to the commercial metropolis of our State. * * * The events of the past few days have 
demonstrated that Wisconsin has the well-regulated militia necessary to the security of a 
free State. 

( )n three other occasions, once before and twice afterwards, has serious trouble 
been threatened which necessitated the calling out of troops. The first occasion was 
during the troubles at Eau Claire, the so-called "Saw-Dust War" of 1881, when the 
Governor called out 250 men. The call was issued at 4:30 one afternoon and the 
men reached the scene of the trouble at noon of the next day. Eight companies from 
the old First and Fourth battalions were ordered out, and so well did they respond, 
that many more than 250 men actually took the field. Three days later all signs of 
trouble disappeared, and the men returned home. 

Late in the evening of July 19, 1889, Governor Hoard received messages from 
the Mayor of Superior, and the Sheriff of Douglas County, requesting the presence of 
a company of the National Guard, saying that they were unable to preserve peace 
and protect property. Company E, Third Regiment, Eau Claire, under command 
of Captain H. B. McMaster, were at once ordered to proceed to the scene of the trouble 
and report to the Mayor. Quartermaster-General Griffin was also dispatched there 
to represent the Governor. Although the message did not reach Eau Claire until 1 
o'clock the next morning, forty-nine officers and men left the city for Superior at 4 
a. m. The presence of the men had the desired effect, serious rioting was stopped, 
and there was no further destruction of property. A General Order issued by the 
Adjutant-General some time afterwards says: 

Most happily bloodshed was avoided, but the power and dignity of the military arm of 
the State were manifest, and thus aided, the civil authorities were enabled to reinstate order 



ACTIVE SERVICE OF THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



S7 



in place of chaos, and law in place of 
mob rule; demonstrating, once again, 
the wisdom of establishing and main- 
taining an efficient body of well-in- 
structed and properly disciplined State 
troops, and once again warning all per- 
sons that Wisconsin can and will pro- 
tect its citizens in their right to labor as 
and when and where they choose. 

In July of the past year, when 
the great Railroad Strike of the 
American Railway Union was at its 
height, trouble was threatened at 
Spooner, a little railroad town on 
the line of the Omaha road. The 
Sheriff of the County claimed to be 
powerless, trains were being delayed, 
and traffic of all kinds was nearly 
stopped. Destruction of railroad 
property was also threatened. The 
Governor, through Adjutant-General 
Falk, wired to several companies 
nearest to that point to prepare for 
active duty, and they were held for 
several days in their armories ready 
for the command to march. Gov- 
ernor Peck, however, determined to 
satisfy himself that all other means had been exhausted, and was loath to increase 
the excitement of the men by the presence of the National Guard. He accordingly 
sent Quartermaster-General Auer to the scene. He held various consultations with 
the men, and the outcome was that all disturbances stopped and the men went back 
to work. 

But work in suppressing insurrections and riots of this kind is not the only field 
of action for the National Guard. There are many other fields of duty, and as exam- 
ples, two very widely divergent ones may be cited. On Jul}' 23, 1881, Captain T. J. 
George, of the Ludington Guards, then a Cavalry company, was ordered to report to 
the Sheriff of Pepin County to assist him in capturing the Williams Brothers, the 
murderers of the tinder-Sheriff of Dunn and the Sheriff of Pepin County. The 




THE SIGNAL CORPS ( >X "SIGNAL ROCK. 



88 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

country was scoured from ten to twenty miles in every direction, but the men were 
never captured. 

The night of October 28, 1892, there was a fire in the Third Ward of the city of 
Milwaukee, which rendered 400 families homeless, and consumed over $5,000,000 
of property. Quartermaster-General Falk, then Colonel of the Fourth Regiment, 
that night ordered out his command, which was on duty even all the next day in 
preserving property, controlling the crowds and patroling the immense area over 
which the flames had burned. They did splendid service. The Adjutant-General 
issued an order a few days later commending their conduct, complimenting General 
Falk, and commending Robert Winters, of Company E, " for intrepidity in rescuing, 
at great personal risk, a mother and her children from their burning home." 



CHAPTER VI 



THE WISCONSIN' NATIONAL GUARD ASSOCIATION. 








•d& : 




- 



REST DURING OKI 1. 1.. 



ONE of the most important 
factors in the progress of 
the Wisconsin National Guard, 
during the last ten years, has been 
the organization known as the 
Wisconsin National Guard Asso- 
ciation. This is mainly compos- 
ed of the officers of the Wiscon- 
sin National Guard. It was first 
organized in 1S82 by General 
Chapman, who, soon after he be- 
came Adjutant - General of the 
State, conceived the idea of bring- 
ing around him at least once a 
year all the officers of the Wisconsin National Guard, or at least as main' as could 
conveniently come, to discuss National Guard matters in general, and the wants of 
the Wisconsin National Guard in particular, four informal gatherings were held, 
however, before a permanent organization was effected. It was at Madison, in I 886, 
that a Committee on Constitution was appointed, consisting of Colonel Charles King, 
Colonel M. T. Moore, Colonel Samuel J. Lewis, Major George P. Traeumer, Captain 
O. F. Weaver and Captain George J. Schoeffel. The next day, January 28, the com- 
mittee reported, and the organization known as The National Guard Association of 
the State of Wisconsin was formed. General Chapman was elected President, and 
as such presided at the annual meetings up to and including that of 1892, when he 
insisted upon resigning, and the then Adjutant-General, General Doe, was elected to 
fill his place, and, upon his resignation to become Assistant Secretary of War, General 
Falk, the present President, was elected. 

The place of meeting up to 1890 was Madison, but since that time the gatherings 
have been held in Milwaukee. They have usually taken place some time in January 



90 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




' LIMBER FRONT.' 



or February, and t h e 
members make every ef- 
fort to be present. As 
an evidence of this, it can 
be stated that at the 1 894 
meeting no less than 137 
officers were present 
throughout the proceed- 
ings. The meetings last 
from two to three days, 
and there is usually quite 
an elaborate programme 
prepared in advance. The President arranges for a number of papers on interesting 
and instructive subjects in connection with National Guard matters. Then there is 
usually a banquet or some military entertainment. Prominent United States officers 
in the vicinity are invited, and there are often half a dozen present, in addition to 
National Guard officers from the neighboring States. 

At the first meeting in 1882, there were no prepared papers read. There was 
simply discussions of various natures. The next year the meeting was held February 
14, and there were three dissertations. One was on the" Customs of the Service," by 
Colonel Charles King. Another was " Rifle Practice," by Lieutenant F. A. Boutelle, 
First U. S. Cavalry, which has already been referred to as being the first start towards 
regular Small Arms' Practice in the State. The third paper was by Major M. A. 
Newman, and entitled " Some Experiences as a National Guard Officer." 

In 1884, the meeting was held February 27 and 28, and there were five regular 
papers, among which was another by Colonel King, on " The Suppression of Riots." 
Colonel King also held an Officers' School, two sessions of two hours each. General 
Fairchild also gave a most interesting extemporaneous speech, on reminiscences in 
the active militia before the war. Colonel M. T. Moore read a paper on "National 
Guard Encampments," which provoked quite a discussion on the advisability of 
a brigade encampment. The various discussions were of such an interesting nature 
that it was determined to arrange at the next meeting to have them taken down in 
shorthand and published with the prepared papers. 

The Fourth Annual Convention was held January 7 and 8, 1885. Here six 
papers were presented for discussion, among which may be mentioned a "Plea for the 
Proper Support of the State Troops," by Major Samuel C. Mower, whose untimely death 
two months later was a great shock to the National Guard of the State, to which he. 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD ASSOCIATION. 



91 



had devoted his best efforts. The meeting in 1886 was chiefly distinguishable from 
the fact that at that time the permanent organization was effected, as has already 
been mentioned. The Sixth Convention was held January 4 and 5, 1887. Captain 
Philip Reade's paper was the event of the occasion. It was on the subject of " Rifle 
Practice." At this meeting a temporary Committee on Legislation was appointed, 
which reported several matters to the Convention, which it recommended to the State 
Legislature for enactment into laws. Among these matters were twelve company 
regiments, a permanent camping ground, pay for the men while on duty at the rate 
of $2 a day, and an outfit of kitchens. Later the Executive Committee was made a 
permanent Committee on Legislation. 

The next meeting was held March 8 and 9, 1888, in the Senate Chamber at 
Madison. There were six prepared papers, two of which were by officers in the 
regular army. This meeting was a most successful one, and largely attended. On 
the evening of the second day there was a brilliant reception tendered by the State 
officers. 

At the meeting held January 23 and 24, 1889, there were a number of papers, 
among which was quite an extensive and elaborate treatise on Rifles and Rifle Prac- 
tice, by Captain Philip Reade. But the most important feature of the gathering was 
an extensive discussion on the advisability of asking the Legislature for an "extraor- 
dinary " appropriation, for the purpose of purchasing a tract of 400 acres or more, 
near Camp Douglas, for a permanent camping ground. A resolution to this effect 
was finally adopted, and a bill framed in accordance with this demand passed the next 
Legislature. The officers also asked for a law providing for a brigade organization. 

The Ninth Annual Convention, February 20 and 21, 1890, was the first held in 
Milwaukee, and the attendance was very large. There were a number of officers of 
the regular army 
present, and officers 
from Illinois and Min- 
nesota. Among the 
papers read was a 
most interesting one 
by Captain Moses 
Harris, U. S. A., on 
" Relations Between 
the Regular Army 
and the National 
Guard " The Con- battery a in column of platoons. 







z 

O 

a 

u 

< 

w 

D 

05 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD ASSOCIATION. 



93 



vention closed with an elaborate banquet. The next meeting was held in the winter 
of the same year, December 10 and 1 1, 1890. The following gathering, accordingly, 
did not take place until February 10, 1892. At this meeting Colonel King gave a very 
interesting talk on his ten years' reminiscences of the Wisconsin National Guard. 
The meeting was held in the Armory of the Light Horse Squadron. General Chap- 
man and Colonel Charles King, who had served from the first meeting in 1882, as 
President and Secretary, tendered their resignations and refused a re-election. 
Appropriate resolutions of thanks for their long and faithful services were adopted. 




INTERIOR OF A COMPANY MESS TENT. 



The meeting of the Association held January 4 and 5, 1893, was full of interest, 
and a large number of the members were in attendance. Major Newman, retired, 
gave those present the benefit of fourteen years' service in the Guard, in a most inter- 
esting paper. Colonel Caldwell, Lieutenant Kluppak, Colonel Goldin, and others, 
contributed very instructive papers. At this meeting steps were taken to re-codify 
the various laws affecting the National Guard, which resulted later in the issue of a 
most complete Manual on the subject. 

The meeting in 1894 (February 23 and 24), was the most successful of any as yet 
held. There were a large number of carefully prepared papers, and the discussions of 
them were length}- and instructive. Lieutenant William L. Buck, 13th U. S. Infantry, 



94 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

on duty with the Wisconsin National Guard, read a most instructive paper on the 
"Inspection of the Wisconsin National Guard in 1894," attaching to it a number of 
forms and reports of a most interesting nature. General Falk was elected President, 
Lieutenant-Colonel H. M. Seaman was re-elected Secretary, and Major George H. 
Joachim, Treasurer. 

This is the record, in brief, of the meetings of the officers of the Wisconsin 
National Guard up to date. A mere outline of the proceedings have been given, but 
from it will be seen that the Association, from its first meeting, has been ever busy on 
the advancement of the Guard. Many of the important improvements achieved from 
year to year may be traced to the informal discussions at these gatherings, as also 
most of the laws which now govern the National Guard in this State. The Conven- 
tions have given the officers an excellent opportunity to become acquainted with each 
other and, friendship fostering harmony, the result has been most beneficent. But a 
very few of the papers read at the Conventions have been mentioned. They have been 
prepared by men who knew what they were talking about, generally acknowledged 
experts on their subjects, and they always received that careful attention which they 
deserved. The Association must be acknowledged as one of the most important fea- 
tures of the National Guard system in this State. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



GOVERNMENT SUPERVISION. 



AS has been said, ever since the inauguration of Governor 
Rusk, and the appointment of Chandler P. Chapman as 
Adjutant-General in January, 1882, the inspections and in- 
structions of the Wisconsin troops has been entrusted almost 
entirely to professional hands. The duty was far from pleasant 
at first, for while many officers and most of the rank and file 
were intelligent and eager to learn, there still existed much of 
the old militia idea. " Spiketai! " dress-coats, gilt epaulets, 
plumes and cross-belts were the vogue. Fancy drill, " silent 
manual " and company glory the " fads," and the more this 
individual system of drill, dress and (save the mark) disci- 
pline was carried out, the farther did it depart from the cus- 
toms of the regular service. 

The first " regular " to sail in and break the ice was a 
Wisconsin man whose earliest service was as marker in the 
Milwaukee Light Guard Battalion in '56, who later was drum- 
mer in the Light Guard band on the return from their famous 
New York trip in '59, who drummed with the Wisconsin 
Volunteers in front of Washington, and was mounted orderly 
of the "Iron Brigade" when selected by President Lincoln 
for cadetship at West Point. Graduating there in '66 he was 
twice on duty at the Academy as instructor — the last time 
in all three branches of the Tactics, Cavalry, Artillery and 
Infantry — and thus having served four years with an Artillery Regiment, three 
years at the Point, four years on Staff duty, and four more with the Cavalry on 
the frontier, he had had exceptional advantages as an instructor when, disabled 
by wounds, he was placed on the retired list as a Captain of Cavalry and 
sent to the University of Wisconsin as Professor of Military Science and Tactics in 

95 




Dots and Dashes. 



96 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



1880. The Light Horse Squadron had just been organized, and, appreciating the 
value of expert coaching, they secured the services of this former Milwaukeean, and 
regularly, once a week, as well as throughout their camp weeks, Captain King took 
hold of this fine troop, and from that time on his connection with the growing " Guard " 
became assured. The University Battalion proved that he was equally at home in 
infantry tactics, and during Chapman's Captaincy of the old-time favorites " The 
Lake City Guards," of Madison, he and King began the hand-in-hand work which 
was never interrupted until the former's retirement from active service with the Guard, 
upon the election of Governor Hoard. In March, '82, Governor Rusk appointed 
King Colonel and Aide-de-Camp, and soon thereafter set him to work going from 




niscussixn the sham battle. 



one point to another instructing the scattered companies. At each encampment, also, 
he was placed on duty teaching practically everybody from Colonels down to Corporals 
of the Guard; even the drummers learning the camp-calls under the new Colonel's 
tuition. Then the inspection duties were confided to him, and then the fur began to 
fly. Most of the Captains and companies profited by his criticisms and declared 
they wanted them, but there were six or eight old-timers who couldn't or wouldn't 
learn Upton's Tactics, and yet expected to be allowed to remain in command and 
ignorance both. They and their political friends flew to the Governor and also into 
print, and very lively did they make things for the "confounded regular," for a time, 
but the sentiment of the Guard, by a big majority, was with the inspector, and little 
by little the incompetents dropped out, and he prevailed. For seven years under 
Governor Rusk, and fir two under Governor Hoard, King served as inspector and 



GOVERNMENT SUPERVISION. 



97 



instructor of the State troops, and then on the inauguration of Governor Peck, resigned 
from the Staff and took command of the Fourth Infantry. 

But there was to be no let-down in the standard of those inspections, all the same. 
Stern and severe as they were, the soldiers of the Guard had grown to believe in them, 
and Lieutenant E. P. Andrus, of King's old regiment, was called in to continue his 
work. It was Colonel King who devised and introduced the Inspection Report with 
the numerical scale of merit, which, modified to conform to the changes in drill regula- 
tions, still obtains ; and during the years of valuable service rendered by Lieutenant — 
who became Captain Andrus — while on duty with our troops, hardly any change of 
method seemed perceptible. After Captain Andrus had finished his tour, the War 
Department detailed First Lieuten- 
ant William L. Buck, of the 13th 
Infantry, U. S. A., and to the fulfill- 
ment of his duties this accomplished 
officer has brought a degree of 
enthusiasm and system which has 
been admirable in its reality. The 
inspection reports for the year 1894 
are models of detail and thorough- 
ness, and are typical of the inspec- 
tions themselves. This being the 
third year of Lieutenant Buck's 
detail, it may be that another officer 
will succeed him in the near future, 
and it may be safely said that no 
matter what may be his qualifica- 
tions, he will have to exert himselt 
to fill the vacated shoes. 

And while these three " regulars," in the order named, have been since '82 the 
inspectors of the State force, under those intimate and accurate conditions which 
required of them annual, and often far more frequent visits, to the armory of each 
and every company in Wisconsin, the Guard has been most fortunate, also, in the 
distinguished soldiers detailed by the General Government to observe the camp and field 
work and report upon the discipline, instruction and efficiency of the organized force 
of the Badger State. Among these Colonel Edward C. Mason, Captain Charles 
Hobart and Captain Joseph Hale, 3d Infantry, and Major Moses Harris, 8th Cavalry, 
gentlemen to the core, and men of the highest standing and ability in an army, 




THE WATER WORKS IN USE. 



98 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



renowned for able and highly educated officers, have won among our Guardsmen hosts 
of friends even as their precepts, example and instruction have served to stimulate 
the best efforts of officers and men alike. Then in the practical use of their arms — in 
that most important branch of the military art — rifle and carbine practice, such famous 
experts as Captain F. A. Boutelle, ist Cavalry, and Philip Reade, 3d Infantry, have been 
the tireless " coaches " and teachers. It was Boutelle who opened the eyes of the offi- 
cers at the Convention of '83 to the mysteries of gallery practice, and as for Reade, his 
years of service and association with the command — in convention — in camp and on 
the range, have been the backbone of the Wisconsin Guardsman's knowledge of his art, 
and no State had ever a more enthusiastic instructor. 

Among others — called from time to time to " keep up the touch " — Wisconsin 
has enjoyed the presence and instruction of such "regulars" as Colonel Evan Miles, 
Lieutenant L. W. V. Kennan,the author of the army system of guard and sentry duty, 
and Lieutenant Waterman of the Engineers, and the conventions have been rare in 
which the papers read or contributed by the " professionals " have not been the centre 
pieces of the feast. During the summer just gone by the camp of the 2d Infantry was 
visited by the Adjutant-General of the Army — General George D. Ruggles — who came 
as he frankly said, because, on assuming the duties of the office a few months before, 
and having occasion to look up the subject of the State troops, he was surprised and 
much interested to see by the records that the National Guard of Wisconsin — this far 
Western State — ranked among the foremost in discipline, efficiency and instruction, 
and he was curious to see it for himself. There is reason for belief that the distinguished 
General found no diappointment in his brief but valuable visit. 




KVOLUTIONS OF BATTERY A. 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. 



ADJUTANT-GENERAL DOE, in his An- 
nual Report for the year ending September 
30, 1892, earnestly recommended that the Med- 
ical Department of the Wisconsin National 
Guard be separated from the Regimental organ- 
izations, and be made a department by itself, 
under the direct commands of the Surgeon- 
General. The Legislature of 1893 made this 
change in the laws governing the management 
of the Guard. It had been felt for some time 
that only in this way could the greatest results 
be accomplished. As matters now stand the 
Medical Corps is a department by itself, the Sur- 
geons belonging to it are not members of any 
regiment as field officers, as formerly, but are 
simply assigned to such and such a command 
at the volition of the Surgeon-General. 

As in all other branches of the National 
Guard of the State, certain years may be 
pointed out as the era of growth and advancement, so the last four years may be 
stated to be the time in which the Medical Department has seen its most material 
improvement. Dr. Nicholas Senn, the famous physician and surgeon, then a resident 
of Wisconsin, was an early appointee of Governor Peck as Surgeon-General of the 
State, with the rank of Brigadier-General. Despite his many private duties, General 
Senn took a very active interest in National Guard matters, and did everything in his 
power to increase the value of the department under his charge. One of his first acts 
was the formation of a State Association of the National Guard Surgeons. The first 

meeting was held in 1890 General Senn was elected President, and Lieutenant 

99 




GENERAL NICHOLAS SENN. 



EX-SUAGEON-GENEfiAl 



100 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




Ralph Chandler Secretary. Instruction was given by General Senn, and several 
papers of interest read. It has been the practice since that time to hold these 

meetings twice a year, generally in February and 
/ September. General Senn once said that company and 

regimental officers used much of their spare time in 
studying tactics and works on military subjects, but he 
doubted very much if any members of the Medical 
Staff ever gave much thought to the particular lines 
of thought and study which became incumbent on them 
as Military Surgeons. It was to remedy this apparent 
lack of interest that the State Association was formed, and 

Major Frederick W. Bykrs. 

burgeon fihst b'egiment the two meetings every year became veritable schools of 

instruction. The present Surgeon-General, General Johnson, is President of the 
State Association, and Captain Theodore W. Evans Secretary. 

General Senn, however, was not satisfied with the forming of a State Association, 
but conceived the idea of a National body, and at once set about the work of bringing 
this idea into execution, and in this work was ably seconded by Lieutenant Ralph 
Chandler, Surgeon of the Latter} - . After considerable correspondence with the 
Adjutant-Generals and Surgeon-Generals of the different States, a call was issued 
about September I , I S91 , and the result was a gathering of about fifty Military Surgeons 
of the United States, in the parlors of the Leland House, Chicago, September 17, as 
the guests of General Senn. The object of the meeting, as stated in the Secretary's 
report, was the organization of an Association for the Advancement of Military and 
Accidental Surgery, and all things pertaining to the welfare of the civilian soldier. 
The Association of Military Surgeons of the National Guard of the United States was 
formed that evening and the Constitution and By-Laws adopted. Any commissioned 
medical officer of the 
National Guard of 
any State may be- 
come a member on 
the p a y m e n t of a 
small initiation fee 
and a n n ual dues. 
Sixty - two members 
were enrolled at this 
first meeting, and the 
strength of the Asso- 

IKlSrlTAI. CORPS IX ACTION. 




THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. 



101 



ciation has been much increased since that time. The second meeting was held at St. 
Louis, April 19-21, [892. The third was to have been at Washington, but owing 
to the World's Fair.it was determined to transfer the place of meeting to Chicago, 
where a most successful gathering met August 8-10, 1893. The following year, 
however, Washington was the place selected, and the meeting held there in May 
of this year. Buffalo has been chosen for 1895. Colonel E. Chancellor, 515 Olive 
Street, St. Louis, is the present Secretary of the organization, whose name has now 
been simplified somewhat, and is The Association of Military Surgeons of the 
United States. 




INTERIOR OF THE HOSPITAL OX THE RESERVATION. 

Nearly every member of the Medical Staff of the Wisconsin National Guard is a 
member. The meetings have been productive of much good, and although a certain 
amount of time is always given up to pleasure, yet there is much serious work. 
Among the papers which have been read at the different meetings are: "The 
Mission of the Association of the Military Surgeons of the National Guard of the 
United States," by General Nicholas Senn, Surgeon-General Wisconsin National 
Guard; "Some Notes on Military Sanitary Organization," by John van R. Hoff, 
Major and Surgeon U. S. A.; " The Primary Dressing of Fractures," by Scott Helm, 
Surgeon-General National Guard of Arizona ; " Concerning the Organization of the 



102 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




MAJOR FREDERICK J. WILKIE. 
Surgeon id regiment. 



Medical Department of the National Guard," 
by J. D. Bryant, Surgeon-General National 
Guard State of New York ; " The Civilian 
Soldier — His Diseases and Hygiene," by Major 
C. M. Woodward, Acting Surgeon-General, 
Michigan; " The Comparative Value of Liga- 
tion and Tortion as Haemostatic Agents," by 
Lieutenant H. M. Brown, Wisconsin National 
Guard ; " The Management of the Wounded 
on the Battle-field of the Future," by Colonel 
Charles R. Greenleaf, Deputy Surgeon-General, 
U. S. A.; " Camp Hospitals," by General 
Thomas Kittredge, Surgeon-General of Mas- 
sachusetts. 

The duties of the Medical Department as 
well as the details of its organization in the 
Wisconsin National Guard, have all now been determined by recent acts of the Legis- 
lature, and the rules and regulations governing the National Guard. The Surgeon- 
General, appointed on the Staff of the Governor, is the head of the department. 
Under him there are as many Majors as there are regiments, and as many Captains 
as there are Battalions of Infantry, Troops of Cavalry and Batteries of Artillery. 
Under the present organization, there are, 
therefore, four Majors and Surgeons, and 
eleven Captains and Assistant Surgeons, all 
assigned to the various commands. They, 
however, no longer wear the regimental insig- 
nia or the stripes determining the branch 
of the service, Infantry, Cavalry or Artillery, 
but are attired alike. They are commis- 
sioned by the Governor on the recommenda- 
tion of the Surgeon-General, and are taken 
from towns where a company is stationed. 
The Surgeon-General has charge of the pur- 
chase of all supplies, and the general manage- 
ment of the department, for which he makes 



the necessary rules and regulations. The 
assistants work directly under him, and look 




CAPT. THEODORE W. EVANS. 

ASSISTANT SURGEON 1ST REGIMENT. 



THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. 



103 




CAPT. HORACE E. MANX. 

ASSISTANT SURGEON 2D REGIMENT. 



after the sanitary condition of the camp, making 
such recommendations as they deem necessary. 
They examine recruits, although this is not 
done in such a thorough manner in the Infantry 
as in the other two branches, where many an 
applicant is turned away owing to physical 
imperfections. In camp they play an important 
part, one Assistant Surgeon is detailed every 
day as the Medical Officer, and he prescribes 
for the different patients, ordering them to the 
Hospital, or excusing them from military duties 
as he may see fit. 

Each regiment has what is known as a 
Hospital Corps, which consists of the Medical 
Officers attached to the regiment, and the 
Hospital Steward, who ranks with the non-com- 
missioned Staff, and is always some one who is 
familiar with the practice of medicine and dis- 
tribution and use of drugs. These men are 
assisted by eight privates selected from the regiment, who are given the necessary 
instruction in litter and ambulance drill. Four privates are also designated from each 
company as litter bearers, and are given similar lessons so as to ensure in each company 
a few men who are known to be familiar with the temporary aid to be given to the 
sick and wounded. These men, with the regular Hospital Corps, do excellent service 
during the weeks of camp, and their services are often in 
request. A notable case occurred a year ago, when the 
camp on the Reservation was visited with a tremendous 
thunder-shower in which one of the tents was struck by 
lightning, and although there was but one fatality, the 
results might have been different if a thoroughly trained 
Medical Staff and Hospital Corps had not been in attend- 
ance. It also often happens that during long drills, 
parades or inspections, men are overcome by the heat and 
have to be carried in, and for this purpose the Hospital 
Corps is always on duty in the rear of the forces during 
such ceremonies. The State has supplied a number of 
litters for this use, one for each company and a few major john b. edwards. 

SURGEON 3D REGIMENT. 




10 I- 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



over. Medical supplies are purchased in abundant quantities whenever necessary, 
and everything has been done to help the Medical Department in its work, its 
importance being realized to the fullest extent. The health of an army is considered 
the most important feature of a successful campaign. There has been but little sick- 
ness at Camp Douglas during the encampments of the last five years, and this is 
attributable to the negligence of the men more than anything else. The change of 
diet and water, different hours, warm days and cold nights bring on some slight cases 
of sickness, but in all emergencies the Medical Department is there, efficient and 
equipped. 




THE MEDICAL CORPS OF THE SECOND RECIMENT. 



CHAPTER X. 

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S AND QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S 

DEPARTMENTS. 




T 



Major Wm. B. McPherson 

ASSISTANT ADJT. GENERAL. 



HE Governor of Wisconsin is, ex officio, the Commander- 
in-Chief of the National Guard of the State. His execu- 
tive officer is the Adjutant-General, and from him, by order of 
the Governor, issue all orders and regulations governing it. 
The duties of the Adjutant-General are of a two-fold nature. 

! First, he is the actual head of the National Guard, and 

secondly, he is a sort of pension agent for old Wisconsin 
soldiers who took part in the War of the Rebellion. The 
laws of the State say that the Adjutant-General shall be 
Chief of Staff and Inspector-General ; that he shall have 
the custody of all military records, returns, reports, correspondence, muster-rolls and 
other documents relating to the National Guard of the State, and of the Volunteers 
heretofore in the service of the United States. He is required by law to make a 
biennial report to the Governor, to be submitted to the Legislature, giving the strength 
of the National Guard and all other matters that he may deem of interest. He is also 
required to make an annual statement to the President of the United States. The 
Adjutant-General assists all persons residing in Wisconsin who have claims for pensions, 
bounty or back pay against the United States, when such claims have arisen from the 
late war. He also acts as Attorney for the claimant in such cases as he deems expe- 
dient. For all of these services he receives a compensation of $2,000 a year, and is 
allowed expenses not to exceed $500. 

The Adjutant-General's office is at Madison, in the Capitol, and, when he is 
absent, is in charge of the Assistant Adjutant-General. The compiling of the war 
records required quite a force of clerks, which has gradually been diminished. Thus, 
in 1 89 1, the Adjutant-General's office employed twelve clerks, exclusive of the Assistant 
Adjutant-General. Nine of these were engaged in work upon the permanent records 
of Volunteer Soldiers from this State in the late war. This and the compiling of the 
revised roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, were finished last year, and all but two of the 

H 105 



106 



THK WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



clerks in that department discharged. These two have been compiling an index of 
soldiers who served from this State, arranged alphabetically for use of the office, and 
an index to the hospital records there on file. This work will soon be finished and 
the office force will then be reduced to the Assistant Adjutant-General, a National 
Guard clerk and a stenographer. All general orders affecting the National Guard 
are issued through the office of 
the Adjutant-General, and here 
also are kept all records of the 
various companies and reg- 
iments, the new men mustered 
in and those discharged, honor- 
ably and otherwise, also all 
commissions issued, promotions 
and resignations. 

The Paymaster's Depart- 
ment is also immediately under 
the Adjutant-General. The 
change in the method of paying 
the troops for camp service was 
made in 1892, when F. F. 
Proud fit was commissioned 
Aide-de-Camp and Paymaster- 
General, with the rank of Col- 
onel. Previous to that time the 
men were not paid until after 
the encampment, when vouchers 
and receipts were prepared in 
the Adjutant-General's office 
and sent out for signature and 
acknowledgment by the officers, 
to be then returned for the ap- 
proval of the Adjutant-General and Governor before going to the Secretary of State's 
office, where warrants on the State Treasurer were finally drawn. This process caused 
a great deal of delay, and it was often two or three months after the close of the 
service performed before the final payments were made. Now all payments are 
made in camp, the officers receipting on the pay-roll for the amounts received. 
Afterwards an abstract of the pay-roll is certified to by the Adjutant-General, and 




QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL FALK'S ASSISTAiNTS. 

CAPTAIN WILLIAMS. MAJOR MAHONEV. 



ADJUTANT AND QUARTERMASTER-GENERALS. 107 

goes its rounds to the State Treasurer, who up to this time holds the receipt of the 
Adjutant-General. This method is very satisfactory to the troops, as it allows them 
to pay all bills for subsistence and camp expenses at once. As has already been 
stated, the enlisted men receive $2.00 a day, and this goes towards paying their sub- 
sistence, range expenses and their prorata share of the band. The balance, amounting 
usually to between $5.00 and $9.00, is turned over to the men by the Captains. The 
commissioned officers are paid the same amounts as officers of like grade in the Regular 
Army. The total pay-roll for camp service in 1894, including the State rifle compe- 
tition, amounted to $38,191.27. 

The duties of the Adjutant-General have materially increased within the last ten 
years, and particularly since the establishment of the Military Reservation near Camp 
Douglas, since which time it has been the custom of the various Adjutant-Generals to 
spend the entire four or five weeks in camp personally supervising the encampment. 
In former years the principal duty of the office was the keeping of the records per- 
taining to the Volunteer Service during the war, and little attention was paid to 
National Guard matters, as the various separate companies were but nominally under 
the supervision of the Adjutant-General, and their dependence upon the State almost 
entirely confined to the receipting for arms. 

The Quartermaster-General of the State is the Commissary-General and Chief of 
Ordnance. He has charge of all the military property of the State, and is responsible 
for it, and is required to carefully preserve it and keep it in repair. To secure the 
conscientious fulfillment of these services he is required to give a bond of $20,000. 
Every second year, he, like the Adjutant-General, is required to make a report to the 
Governor, accounting for all of the State's military property, that on hand at the last 
report, that received since, how it has been disposed of, and what remains on hand. 
He also has charge of the transportation of the troops, stores and accoutrements. In 
the case of the Quartermaster-General also, the duties of the office have materially 
increased since the establishment of the permanent camping grounds, as he is directly 
in charge of it, as far as the property itself and the permanent improvements thereon 
are concerned. The State has no small amount of military property in its possession, 
as will be seen from the biennial reports of the Quartermaster-General. September 
30, 1892, General Falk reported as in his possession, among a mass of other things, 
2,723 Springfield rifles, 2,635 bayonets, 13 cannon, 2 gatling guns, 203 tents, 405,000 
ball cartridges, and 1,500,000 white pasters. The expenditures for the department for 
the two years were $49,961.44. 

Although in Wisconsin the appointment of the Adjutant-General and the Quarter- 
master-General, as well as the other members of the Governor's Staff, is governed 



108 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

by political causes, and the defeat of the party in power means to a certainty a change 
in these officials, the State and the National Guard has been particularly fortunate in 
not suffering materially from the evils which this system is apt to entail. More than 
once a movement has been made to take these two National Guard offices out of 
political control, and a law to this effect was at one time under consideration. This 
plan has been most successfully tried in many Eastern States, where the Adjutant- 
General, when efficient, has often held his office for fifteen or twenty years, through 
half as many different State administrations. There can be little doubt that this plan 
is the wisest. 




William H. Upham. 

GOVERNOR-ELECT OF WISCONSIN. 



CHAPTER XI. 



THE FIRST REGIMENT. 




D' 



The Rev. Jos. Moran. 

CHAPLAIN FlfiST REGIMENT. 



URING the winter of 1879 and 1880 the first move was 
made looking to the formation of the Wisconsin National 
Guard into Battalions and Regiments. Up to this time the 
force was composed of separate companies, each Company 
Commander reported to the Adjutant-General, and with no 
regulation as to uniforms. In the early months of 1880 four 
companies, the Janesville Guards and the Bower City Rifles 
of Janesville, the Custer Rifles of Whitewater, and the Beloit 
City Guards of Beloit, joined in an application to Governor 
Smith to be organized into a Battalion, and in compliance 
with this application the order was issued from the Adjutant-General's office March 
28th, 1880. Colonel William B. Britton, of Janesville, a veteran of the Civil War, who 
had served with distinction with the 8th Wisconsin Volunteers, known as the " Eagle 
Regiment," and was at the close of its service Colonel of that regiment, was induced 
to accept the command of the new Battalion. His first Battalion order bore date 
April 7th, 1.XN0, and appointed Melvin A. Newman, of the Janesville Guards, Adjutant 
of the Battalion. Adjutant Newman remained in that position a little more than 
five years. The First Batallion officers were: 

Major Commanding — W. B. Britton, of Janesville. 
Adjutant — First Lieutenant M. A. Newman, of Janesville. 
Quartermaster — First Lieutenant C. O. Tattershall, of Beloit. 
Surgeon — II. P. Strong, of Beloit. 

A company was organized at Delavan in the spring of 1880, giving the Battalion 

five companies. W. B. Britton was then made Lieutenant-Colonel, and Captain H. H. 

McLenegan of Beloit was promoted to the rank of Major. The Battalion order assigning 

the position of the five companies bears date May 30th, 1880. In June, 1880, the First 

Battalion attended the great veteran soldiers' reunion in honor of General Grant at 

1 1 1 



112 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



Milwaukee, and took part in the ceremonies as a Battalion, and, in a company competi- 
tive drill, Company A of this Battalion was awarded first prize. August 24th, 1880, 
the First Battalion, on invitation of Colonel C. M. Brazee and the officers of the Third 
Illinois National Guard Regiment, went into camp at Rockford, 111., with the Third 

Infantry, Illinois National Guard, tents, subsistence and 
camp equippage being furnished by the Illinois men. This 
was the first encampment held by a Battalion of the Wis- 
consin National Guard. At this time the State of Wiscon- 
sin did not own anything in the way of tents or camp 
equippage. 

In July, i88i,the First Battalion with other troops was 
ordered to Eau Claire, where a large body of strikers had 
threatened the peace of the community. Orders were 
received at Battalion headquarters between 5 and 6 o'clock 
p. m., July 22d, and the troops arrived at Eau Claire the 
next morning, marched to the public square and went into camp. There were no 
hostile demonstrations after the arrival of the troops. The tour of duty at Eau Claire 
included six days, and was very valuable as a camp of instruction. 

Early in 1882, by the addition of the two companies at Racine and a newly or- 
ganized company at Monroe, the First Battalion rose to the dignity of a regiment 
with the following; Field and Staff officers : 




SAMUEL J. LEWIS. 

EX-COL. FIRST INFANTRY. 



W. B. Britton, 
H. H. McLenegan, 
Frank M. Reed, 
M. A. Newman, 
G. G. Chittenden, 
F. W. Byers, 
C. C. Jones, 
J. W. Bates, 



Colonel. 

Lieutenant-Colonel. 
Major. 
Adjutant. 
Surgeon. 

Assistant Surgeon. 
Quartermaster. 
Judge Advocate. 



The first regular encampment for instruction of the Wisconsin National Guard 
was held by the First Regiment at Racine the last week of July, 1882, since which 
time the First has gone into camp of instruction regularly each year. 

In July, 1884, a company was organized at Darlington, and this company, 
together with the Governor's Guard of Madison, were assigned to the First, making a 
ten-company regiment. In the early part of October, 1885, Colonel W. B. Britton, 
who had commanded the First as a Battalion and Regiment for nearly six years, 



THE FIRST REGIMENT. 



113 



tendered his resignation, and on October 13th, Samuel J. Lewis, of Monroe, was com- 
missioned Colonel ; J. B. LaGrange of Janesville, Lieutenant-Colonel ; and Captain 
Allan F. Caldwall of Whitewater, Major. Colonel Lewis' Regimental Staff consisted 
of the following : 



Major F. W. Byers, 
Captain T. VV. Evans, - 
Captain F. R. Garlock, 
Charles F. Young, 
Joel W. Richmond, 
Emmet D. McGowan, - 



Surgeon. 

Assistant Surgeon. 
Assistant Surgeon. 
Adjutant. 
Quartermaster. 
Inspector Rifle Practice. 



May 4th, 1886, the First Regiment was called out for active service by order of 
Governor Rusk to assist in suppressing the riot and maintaining order at Milwaukee. 
At 1 1 : 1 6 a. m. orders were sent by telegram to company commanders, and before 4 
o'clock every company had reported ready to move with full ranks. Arriving at 
Milwaukee, Colonel Lewis was stationed at the Armory with four companies, 
Lieutenant-Colonel LaGrange at the Allis works, with two companies of the First 
and one of the Second Regiment, Major Caldwell at the West Milwaukee car shops 
with two companies, while Companies A and B of the First reported to Major 
Traeumer to reinforce the Fourth Battalion at Bay View. The work of the First 
Regiment during this tour of duty was most satisfactory. Company B of this regi- 
ment was one of the companies which fired upon the mob at Bay View by order of 
Major Traeumer. 

July 26th, 1887, Joseph B. Doe, Jr., was commis- 
sioned Captain and Inspector of Rifle Practice, vice 
McGowan resigned. In June, 1888, Captain Samuel P. 
Schadel was promoted to Major, and in October, 1888, 
Colonel Lewis having resigned by reason of removal 
from the State, William Helm of Madison was com- 
missioned Colonel, Allan F. Caldwell Lieutenant-Colonel 
and Captain Melville A. Newman of Janesville was pro- 
moted to be Major. The Regimental Staff remained 
unchanged. February 23d, 1889, Joseph B. Whiting, Jr., 
was commissioned Captain and Assistant Surgeon, Vice F. R. Garlock, resigned. 

In February, 1891, Colonel Helm having removed to Washington, D. C, tendered 
his resignation and Allan F. Caldwell was commissioned Colonel ; Samuel P. Schadel 
Lieutenant-Colonel and Captain John D. Hogan of Whitewater, Major. Colonel 







MAJOR J. I>. HOGAN. 



FIRST RECIMENT. 



114 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



Caldwell's Staff remained unchanged except that Captain J. W. Richmond was made 
Adjutant and Captain C. S. Young Quartermaster. December 7th, 1892, Major 
John D. Hogan having removed from the State, both tendered their resignations, 
Captain Charles S. Young and Captain George Joachim were promoted to the rank 
of Major. Captain J. W. Richmond having also resigned and removed from the 
State, S. J. Olson, of Whitewater, was commissioned Captain and Adjutant. 

Colonel Caldwell, now in command of the First Infantry, is a typical National 
( riiardsman. He has served as private in the ranks, Corporal, Sergeant, First Sergeant 
and Captain. He is thoroughly acquainted with a soldier's duties and is an enthusiast 
in National Guard work. 



COMPANY A, JANESV1LLE. 



The Janesville Guards were organized August 5, 1878, and the local paper of that 
day said of the membership of the company: "The men are nearly all young, and 

a glance down the line will show they are 
of the best in the city, and as such will be 
an honor to the city and also to the State," 
and this prophecy turned out to be true. 
The officers first elected were T. T. 
Croft, Captain ; H. A. Smith, First Lieu- 
tenant ; M. A. Newman, Second Lieuten- 
ant ; J. W. Rates, Judge Advocate; J. W. 
St. John, Surgeon ; T. W. MacLean, Chap- 
lain. The company soon established a 
splendid record and reputation. In a 
contest July 4, 1879, with the Oshkosh 
Guards, they won first prize, and in the 
contest at Freeport, 111., the same summer, 
they divided equal honors with the Aurora 
Guards and the Rockford Rifles. In 1 8S0, 
in the great State contest, open to all the 
troops of the State, they carried off first 
prize, a purse of $500. First prize was also 
won at Woodstock, 111., in a contest open 
to companies of the Northwest ; again at 
col. wm. it. i;ritton. the contest held before the re-union of the 

G. A. R., they were successful in winning 




FORMERLY COMMANDER FIRST REGIMENT. 



THE FIRST REGIMENT. 



115 



honors, when they brought home the diamond medal. In 1880 they made a 
tour through the South on invitation of the militia of Atlanta and Macon, Georgia. 
In 1 881 they took part in the suppression of the Eau Claire riots. In the fol- 
lowing year they also took part in the State encampment, as well as visiting the 
State encampment of Illinois and Iowa as guests of those 
States. They attended the reception of General Grant, at 
Chicago, on his return from his trip around the world, and 
there escorted and acted as guard of honor to the ex-Presi- 
dent. In 1886 the riots in Milwaukee called them into duty, 
and again they proved that they could be depended upon 
when necessity demanded work. Another visit throughout 
the South, this time to Mobile and New Orleans, gave the 
company evidence that their reputation was not confined to 
their own State. About the time of the organization of the 
Guards, a second company was formed and known as The 
Bower City Rifles. This company also was honored by trips 
abroad and won many prizes in contests. It had happened in many contests that 
the two Janesville companies have brought home first and second prize. It was 
decided by the State authorities that there should be but one company in Janesville, 
and the Guards and the Rifles were consolidated into one company, and are now 
known as Company A. The record of the new company is well maintained at present. 
For the honors conferred upon them in the past, for the high position they attained, 
for their success in all contests, for their record so grandly established, credit should 
be given to their several Captains : T. T. Croft, now of Washington, H. A. Smith, 
now living at Cleveland, Ohio, M. A. Newman, Chicago, J. B. Doe, now Assistant 
Secretary of War, Fred H. Koeblin and C. F. Glass. Its present officers are : Cap- 
tain, C. F. Glass ; First Lieutenant, Leo Rooney ; Second Lieutenant, Charles Hansen. 




Col. William Helm 



COMPANY B, FORT ATKINSON. 



The organization once known as the " Hoard Rifles" but now officially as Com- 
pany B, First Regiment, came into existence December 12, 1888, and was mustered 
into the service of the State on April 25, 1889, by Adjutant-General Burchard. The 
company began its military education under the direction of Captain Frances E. 
Drake, an old Milwaukee boy, and at one time a member of the " hirst Light 
Battery." First Lieutenant Edgar J. Gibson, who obtained his first lessons in military 
science at the Hudson River Institute, and Second Lieutenant Alonzo D. Merriman. 



116 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




Major Geo. H. Joachim. 

FIRST REGIMENT. 



These instructors were commissioned as officers of a provisional company in the 
Wisconsin National Guard on February I, 1889. In the short space of time from 
December to April the men provided themselves with a complete outfit of uniforms. 
At muster the instructors were elected as officers. 

The first work along the line of military duty was at 
Madison on July 4th, where the company took part in the 
parade with Company A, of Janesville, Company E, of Be- 
loit, and Company I, of Madison, all of the First Regiment. 
In the very first camp two of the men carried off first 
honors. Private Hilton Warne had the highest score for 
fixed distance-firing (reduced range), and Sergeant Smet- 
hurst had the highest average for estimating distances. The 
first change of officers in the company occurred on July 19, 
1890, when Lieutenant Merriman resigned, owing to the 
demand of his private business. First Sergeant Albert B. 
Wentworth was elected to fill the vacancy, and was commissioned Second Lieutenant 
on July 24, 1890. On November 6, 1890, owing to his removal from town, Captain 
Drake found it necessary to resign, much to the regret of every member of the com- 
pany. First Lieutenant Gibson was on March 18, 1890, commissioned Captain, and 
has proved to be a very worthy and efficient company commander. Lieutenant 
Wentworth was commissioned First Lieutenant and Sergeant John M. Smethurst 
was elected Second Lieutenant. Their commissions bear the same date as that of the 
Captain, November 18, 1890. On November 5, 1 891, Lieutenant Wentworth resigned 
and Lieutenant Smethurst was commissioned First Lieutenant, and First Sergeant 
Ernest F. Shafer Second Lieutenant on November 23, 1891. Lieutenant Shafer had 
hardly taken command of his platoon before he was stricken down with an attack 
of pneumonia to which he succumbed on January 7, 1892. In his death the com- 
pany lost one of its staunchest supporters and one of its most loyal members. He 
was laid to rest with military honors at Lake View Cemetery. Sergeant Harry 
N. Hart was elected Februarys, 1892, to fill the vacancy, Lieutenant Smethurst 
having removed to St. Paul, and having served five years with the company, was 
retired on May 7, 1894. At the election to fill the vacancy Lieutenant Hart 
waived his right to promotion, and Sergeant Fred. Glazier was elected First Lieu- 
tenant and was commissioned May 26, 1894. The company now numbers fifty -seven 
men, of whom eight are charter members. 




Colonel Allan F. Caldwell, 

FIRST REGIMENT. 



118 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



COMPANY C, WHITEWATER, 

Company C is one of the oldest companies in the State. It was first organized 
in 1875, but was not mustered into the service until July, 1877, with J. B. Bassett as 
Captain; Samuel Bowers, First Lieutenant; and Albert L. Arey, Second Lieutenant. 




Armory Co. C, First Regiment, Whitewater. 

The company was known as the " Custer Rifles," taking their name from General 
Custer, the Indian fighter. A photograph of General Custer neatly framed hangs in 
the officers' room and bears this inscription : 

To the Custer Rifles, 

Co. C, First Infantry 

Wisconsin National Guard, 

FROM 

Elizabeth B. Custer. 

This picture was secured through the efforts of Colonel Charles King, and 
nothing could be more prized by the company than it is. 

Since its organization the following men have successively been in command: 
S. A. Partridge, J. J. Downey, J. E. Bassett, M. M. OeWolf, Allan F. Caldwell, C. J. 
Walton, J. D. Hogan, and Frank B. Goodhue, who is the present Commander, with O. 
J. Olson First Lieutenant, and W. H. Halm Second Lieutenant. 



THE FIRST REGIMENT. 



11-.) 



The first armory of the company was in the loft of a livery stable. It had no 
conveniences or adaptation of an armory. The armory was then moved to a small 
hall over a hardware store. This hall, although an improvement over the old armory, 
was far too small and the men were cramped for quarters. Later the armory was 
again moved to the Van Voorhees new block, which is the present armory of the 
company. The drill hall is 70x64 and the company room 70 x 30. In the company 
room besides a locker for each man, there is a pool table, a billiard table, etc. The 
armory is always kept open so the men can at any time find a place to spend a few 
sociable hours. 

In the year 1884, the company, under Colonel (then Captain) Caldwell, partici- 
pated in an inter-State competitive drill at Woodstock, 111., winning second prize of 
$ 1 50, losing first place by only one-half of a point to a Janesville company. The 
following year Captain Caldwell took his command to the National Encampment at 
Milwaukee and won the highest praise for its proficiency in drill, manual and 
military courtesy. 

During the riots in Milwaukee (May 6, 1886), the company had a taste of 
actual service. Every man but one promptly responded to the call of Governor 
Rusk. This man who, by the way, injured his ankle the same day of the call, was 
discharged for the good of the service. Captain Caldwell at this time being commis- 
sioned Major, the company was commanded by Lieutenant J. 1). Ilogan, who later 
became Major Hogan. Company C has furnished to the regiment an unusual large 
number of officers, among which are Allan F, Caldwell, J. D. Ilogan, Wyman Prince, 
P. V. G. Esterly, Harry Martin and Joseph Tobin. 



COMPANY D, DARLINGTON. 



What is now Company D was organized as Company 
K July 8, 1884, by Adjutant M. A. Newman, who mus- 
tered in seventy-one men. George S. Anthony was elected 
Captain, William W. Murphy First and Daniel S. Rose 
Second Lieutenants. Lieutenant Murphy resigned April 

15, 1885, and Lieutenant Rose became First and Edmund 
Stott Second Lieutenants. Lieutenant Rose resigned 
August 30, 1886, and on September 25 of the same year 
Lieutenant Stott became First and Charles A. Ferrin be- 
came Second Lieutenants. Lieutenant Ferrin resigned July 

16, 1887, and was succeeded by Lyman F. Gray on July 




Capt. Geo. H. Nbckbrman. 

QUARTERMASTER FIRST REGIMENT 



120 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL CxUARD. 



27. Lieutenant Stott resigned May iS, 1 888, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Gray, 
Peirce Van Hook being elected Second Lieutenant. Captain Anthony resigned De- 
cember 14, 1 888, and Lieutenant Gray was elected 
Captain, Lieutenant Van Hook advancing to First 
and John J. Miller being elected Second Lieuten- 
ant. Captain Gray resigned November 2, 1889, 
Lieutenant Van Hook was elected Captain, Lieu- 
tenant Miller First and Clyde C. King Second 
Lieutenants. Lieutenant Miller resigned Feb- 
ruary 5, 1890, and Lieutenant King became First 
Lieutenant and Thomas O'Neil Second. Captain 
Van Hook and Lieutenant King resigned in June, 
1890, and on June 17 of that year P. H. Conley 
was elected Captain, Lieutenant O'Neil First and 
Harry Bates Second Lieutenants. Lieutenant 
Bates resigned October 13, 1891, and on October 
28 was succeeded by Wallis R. Norton. Lieu- 
tenant O'Neil resigned April 6, 1892, and on May 
7 Lieutenant Norton became First and Charles 
C. Townsend Second Lieutenants. Lieutenant 
Townsend resigned November 15, 1892, and on 
December 1 3 Edward E. Buche was elected Second Lieutenant. It will be seen from 
the foregoing that the company has had but two Captains during nearly nine of the 
ten years of its organization. 

The company has taken part in all camps since its organization, and always 
made hosts of friends. At the time of the May riots in 1886, orders came at 12:30 
and at 1:45 p - M - L ° e company was on its way to Milwaukee, taking all but two men, 
who were detained by sickness. The company never fails to observe Memorial Day 
and the Fourth of July. They have attended such gatherings at Dodgeville, Mineral 
Point, Madison, Shullsburg, Monroe, Platteville and other cities. 

In October, 1892, the company assisted at the dedication of the World's Fair 
buildings, the money being raised by the citizens. The company contains some 
crack shots, and has been represented on the State Rifle Team during the last three 
or four years by more than its proportion of men, and last year had the first marksman 
in the State in the person of Private Townsend. Company D has sixty members. 
Captain Conley is the senior Captain of the First Regiment. 




Lieut. -Col. Samuel P. Schadel. 

FIRST REGIMENT. 



THE FIRST REGIMENT. 



121 



COMPANY E, BELOIT. 



Earl)- in i S77 sixty citizens of Beloit banded themselves together and formed 
one of the military companies of Wisconsin, and the records of the company show 
that they were mustered into the service of the State on August 1 1, 1877, being the 
third organization with which such action was taken. At that time Mr. John M. 
Hoyt was the Captain, and J. I. Comstock and C. H. Parmeley the Lieutenants. In 
1878 the company treated themselves to new uniforms. Early in this year, when the 
city was infested with tramps, the men marched out in full dress, the gaudy swallow- 
tail uniforms, with buff trimmings, pompous, highly polished buckles and white cross- 
belts, and the tramps were routed, over three hundred of them being loaded onto a 
freight train and shipped north. Captain Hoyt soon removed from the city, and was 
succeeded by C. H. Parmeley as commander. Under Captain Parmeley Company E 
was called into active service, this time at Eau Claire, where they assisted in the 
preservation of the peace of that city. Captain H. H. McLenegan, who was later 
Lieutenant-Colonel of the First Infantry, succeeded Captain Parmeley ; and E- 
J. Bending succeeded Captain McLenegan. For sev- 
eral years under Captain Bending the company pros- 
pered, but in 1884 and 1885, owing to his absence 
from the city, the organization was on the verge 
of disbandment, but a re-organization took place 
earl)- in 1886, and Chalmers Ingersoll was elected 
Captain, C. A. Smith First Lieutenant, and A. F. 
Ayer Second Lieutenant. Under Captain Ingersoll 
the company responded to another call for active 
service. This was on the 4th of May, 1886, during 
the labor riots at Milwaukee. Captain Ingersoll 
marched his company to the Allis Works, and here 
for several days did gallant service in protecting 
the property. 

In 1887 Captain Ingersoll retired, and on June 
4, 1887, A. F. Ayer was elected to succeed him, 
with Tom. J. Rogers as F'irst and Fred. W. Parsons 
as Second Lieutenants. In November, 1891, he 
retired and Tom. J. Rogers, who was then Inspector of Small Arms Practice of the 
First Regiment, was elected to the Captaincy. The record of the company under 
Captain Rogers has been one of remarkable progress. He set to work to retrieve lost 
1 




Major I>. A. Stearns. 

FIRST REGIMENT. 



122 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




Major Charles S. Young. 



ST REGIMENT. 



honors, and at his first inspection, although two-thirds of 
the members had been drilled but a few months, he brought 
the standing of the company up twenty points over its pre- 
vious inspection. At the inspection of 1894 he again raised 
the standing of the company — this time t,o}4 points, a most 
remarkable jump — gaining third place in the State with a 
score of 190.05. 

In rifle work Company E stands among the best in the 
State. In 1890 the company team of six men defeated the 
Turtle Rifle Club. In 1891 another team defeated a team 
from the Rockford, 111., Military Company by an aggregate 
score of 769 against 583 ; and again in this year the team met representatives of Com- 
pany A, First Infantry, Wisconsin National Guard, on the range and defeated them by 
an aggregate score of 943 against 760. In 1 889 the company was represented on the 
State team by Lieutenant Thomas J. Rogers, and again in 1890, 1891, 1892 and 1893. 
Lieutenant Rogers qualified four years in succession as sharpshooter. He also 
represented the State in the inter-State contests in 1890, 1891 and 1892. Among 
other well-known rifle shots of the company during the past five years, and members 
of the company teams, were Sergeant H. R. Yeakle, Sergeant L. L. Farmer, Corporal 
R.Cody, Lieutenant H. Turtle, Private Fred. Dustin, L. Purnes, W. Trimble and 
Lieutenant J. Johnson. 

The company was mustered in as the Beloit City Guard and went under that 
name until 1893, when the name of the organization was changed to the Line City 
Rifles. The present 6fficers of the company are : Captain, Thomas J. Rogers ; First 
Lieutenant, John Johnson ; Second Lieutenant, George P. Haynes — all having worked 
up from the ranks. 



COMPANY F, RACINE. 




Major m. A. Newman. 

EX-MAJOR FIRST REGIMENT. 



Owing to numerous causes the Racine Light Guards, 
Company F, First Regiment, failed to pass the annual inspec- 
tion held July 13, 1894, and was mustered out of service soon 
after by Major G. H. Joachim, under orders from the Adju- 
tant-General's office, with permission to organize a new com- 
pany. Major Joachim remained in Racine till the following 
night, when enough names were enrolled to guarantee the 
formation of the new company. The preliminary matters 
were duly arranged and report sent to the Adjutant-General 



THE FIRST REGIMENT. 



123 



as required. The balance of the names 
were secured, and with an enrollment of 
sixty-eight men, Company F, First Regi- 
ment Infantry, Wisconsin National Guard, 
was duly mustered into service by Major 
Joachim, on August 6, 1894. The follow- 
ing is the roster of officers elected : Cap- 
tain, James W. Greeley ; First Lieutenant, 
Paul M. Matson ; Second Lieutenant, 
George E. Rodgers. 

The company immediately went to 
work with drills and study, and had made 
good progress when ordered to camp, 
August 12 to 1 8 inclusive. While the 
company was organized by the members of 
the old company, scarcely one-third of the 
new company were or had been members 
of the Racine Light Guards. The largest 
company in point of numbers at the camp 
of instruction was Company F, with fifty- 
nine men and three officers, making a to- 
tal of sixty-two. The work done at camp 
was passed upon favorably by competent judges, and while not equal to some of the 
other companies, showed the effect of the hard work at the armory previous to the 
encampment. The credit for this is given to the two Lieutenants by Captain Greeley, 
as he did not assume personal command of the company until the company started 
for camp. 

The company was inspected by Lieutenant Buck on September 28, 1894, and on 
a notice by telegram of only thirty hours. The company had not been organized 
long enough to obtain the addresses of the members, so that all who were notified 
had to be seen in person, but so good was the discipline and so complete the notifi- 
cation that every member in the city reported at the armory in uniform. Sixty men 
and three officers stood before the inspecting officer and passed a very creditable 
inspection. They were highly complimented by Lieutenant Buck, who prophesied a 
great record should the work begun so favorably be continued. 




CAPTAIX J. W. RICHMOND 

EX-ADJUTANT FIRST REGIMENT 



124 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

COMPANY G, MADISON. 



The Governor's Guard was organized March 24, 1875, consisting of about fifty 
members who were all either German born or of German descent. The first commis- 
sioned officers of the company were elected on the same date, as follows: Captain, 
August Bartsch ; First Lieutenant, John G. Stock ; Second Lieutenant, P. H. Heinkel. 

The company was very unfortunate the following year in losing its Captain, who 
died at Denver, Col., August 17, 1876. On September 6, 1876, John G. Stock was 
elected Captain, P. H. Heinkel First Lieutenant, and A. Schiffer Second Lieutenant. 
There were no changes then until October 16, 1S78, when Lieutenant P. H. 
Heinkel was elected Captain of the company, and John Heyl First Lieutenant. ( >n 
December 4, 1878, George M. Neckerman was elected Second Lieutenant. On June 
29, 1881, Charles Wedelstedt was elected Captain, William Helm refusing to serve 
though elected on the first ballot. During the following year, on May 26, 1882, 
however, William Helm was duly elected Captain of the company. 

Up to 1885 the company had been assigned to the Fourth Battalion, after which 
it was called Company I, First Regiment. After January of that year the company, 
which had heretofore conducted its own financial affairs, providing its own uniform 
and paying its own expenses, began receiving aid from the State, accepted a new 
constitution, and transacted its business in the English language. 

On June 2, 1886, George H. Joachim was elected First Lieutenant, and on July 
12, 1887, he was elected Captain, Captain Helm being commissioned Major and later 
as Colonel of the regiment. On the same day George M. Neckerman was elected 
hirst Lieutenant, and H. W. Quentmeyer Second Lieutenant. Lieutenant George M. 
Neckerman resigned November 5, 1890, and II. W. Quentmeyer was elected First 
Lieutenant November 12, 1890. On the same day H. C. Baker was elected Second 
Lieutenant. Captain George H. Joachim having served the company as its com- 
mander for several years was promoted to the rank of Major of the Second Battalion, 
hirst Regiment, May 19, 1893. On May 24, new officers were elected, the result of 
the same being: Captain, H. W. Quentmeyer ; First Lieutenant, H. C. Baker ; Second 
Lieutenant, Chris. Swenson. George M. Neckerman having resigned the Lieutenancy 
previously, was appointed Regimental Quartermaster, with the rank of Captain, 
January 9, 1893. 

The drilling exercises as well as other assemblies of the company are held in 
the armory, which is located on Main street, opposite the Capitol Park. It consists 
of two flats, the drill-room proper measuring 45 x 100 feet ; the flat beneath, which is 
also occupied by the company, contains seven rooms, two of which are reception 



THE FIRST REGIMENT. 



125 



rooms, one a club room, a cabinet for 
arms, a gymnasium, a wardrobe and a 
kitchen. The cabinet for arms has sixty- 
four lockers of the latest pattern, and the 
gymnasium is well supplied with the very 
best apparatus obtainable. The building 
is lighted by electricity, is splendidly ven- 
tilated, and meets every want of the com- 
pany. 

The company was called into active 
service three times : To the so-called " saw- 
dust" war at Eau Claire in July, 1881, to 
the Milwaukee riots in May, 1886, and 
for the rescue of a prisoner who was in 
danger of being lynched, at Clinton, in 
April, 1893. 

In the years 1891, 1892, 1893 the 
company received the greatest number of 
points of excellence from the United States 
inspecting officer in the State. The points 
received out of a possible 200 being \go}4, 
1941/J and 195^ respectively. 
It is thereby seen that the company has an excellent record, which, however, 

is not the only result of having been in charge of able commissioned officers, but also 

to the efficient work of the non-commissioned officers, headed by First Sergeant John 

P. Joachim. 

Since February 6, 1894, by General Order No. 2, the 

company is known as Company G, a designation of which 

the sixty-nine officers and men hope to be proud of in years 

to come. 




CAPT. JAMES GIBSON. 

INSPECTOR SMALL ARMS PRACTICE, FIRST REGIMENT. 



COMPANY H, MONROE. 



During the winter and Spring of 1882, a number of 
young men, many of them G. A. R. men, discussed the idea 
of organizing a company of the Wisconsin National Guard, 
and petitioned Governor Rusk to issue orders for such 




Capt.Jos. B. Whiting, Jr. 

ASS'T SURGEON FIRST REGIMENT. 



120 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




Capt. Sevkrt J. Olson. 

ADJUTANT FIRST REGIMENT 



an organization. The orders were issued, and the Monroe 
City Guards was organized March 28, 1882. The company 
was mustered into the service by Lieutenant M. A. Newman 
of the Janesville Guards. The first officers of the company 
were Sam. J. Lewis, Captain ; Samuel P. Schadel, First Lieu- 
tenant ; Andrew Arnott, Second Lieutenant. The company 
was assigned to duty in the First Regiment, and made its 
first appearance in public July 4, 1 882, and was presented 
with a beautiful silk banner by its friends. On May 30, 
1884, Captain Lewis was elected Major, and on the 7th of 
June following S. P. Schadel was commissioned Captain. In 
1 886, when there was riot and disorder in Milwaukee, Company H was one of the 
companies ordered to the city. Throughout that week Company H was ever to the 
front ready for duty. In June, 1888, Captain Schadel was commissioned Major and 
D. A. Stearns was elected Captain. In June, 1893, Cap- 
tain Stearns was commissioned Major, and July 5, 1893, 
R. D. Gorham was commissioned Captain. Company H 
has an armory in the Karlan Block, and a most satisfac- 
tory armory it is. The present officers are Rice D. Gor- 
ham, Captain ; Charles T. Meythaler, First Lieutenant. 
The Company at present has no Second Lieutenant, Ed. 
M. Thorpe having resigned a few days ago. The regular 
drill night of Company H comes on Tuesday of each 
week. There is a non-commissioned officers' school fol- 
lowing each drill, besides squad drill Monday and Thurs- 

^ J Captain H A. Smith. 

Clay lllgntS. EX-CAPT. JANESVILLE GUARDS. 




CHAPTER XII 



THE SECOND REGIMENT. 







THE Second Reg- 
iment was or- 
ganized by orders 
from the office of 
the Adjutant-Gener- 
al, April 26, 1882, 
about one month af- 
ter the First Regi- 



ment was formed, 
second regiment BAxu ox keview. anc ] very nearly ex- 

actly a year before the Third Regiment was brought into existence. The regiment 
was formed from the companies composing the old Second Battalion, with the addi- 
tion of several other organizations. The field and staff, and non-commissioned staff, 
was as follows : 

Colonel, - - - - 

Major, - - - 

Surgeon (Major), 

.Assistant Surgeon (Captain), 

Adjutant (First Lieutenant), 

Quartermaster (First Lieutenant), 

Judge Advocate (First Lieutenant), 

Sergeant-Major, 

Quartermaster Sergeant, - 

Chief Musician, 

The companies composing the newly-formed regiment, with the dates of organi- 
zation, were as follows : 

Company A, Manitowoc Volunteers, Manitowoc, Captain F. Becker, July 18, 
1868. 

127 



Gabe Bouck. 
J. II. Marston. 

F. J. WlLKIE. 

L. A. Bishop. 
W. S.Wheeler. 
John Keneally. 
Emil Baensch. 
C. P. Richmond. 
W. C. Kimball. 
Charles E. Rogers. 



128 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



Company B, Oshkosh Guard, Oshkosh, Captain W. H. Patton, March 25, 1876. 

Company C, Evergreen City Guard, Sheboygan, Captain C. A. Born, November 
4, 1877. 

Company D, Ripon Rifles, Ripon, Captain Hugo Schultz, March 28, 1878. 

Company E, Fond du Lac Guard, Fond du Lac, Captain S. L. Brasted, April 9, 
1880. 

Company F, Oskosh Rifles, Oshkosh, Captain J. N. Ruby, April 8, 1880. 

Company G, Appleton Light Infantry, Appleton, Captain Henry C. Sloan, Octo- 
ber 27, 1 88 1. 

Company H, Prairie City Guard, Ripon, Captain F. N. Webster, December 2, 1881. 




COLOR GUARD OF THE SECOND REGIMENT. 

Company I, Rankin Guard, Manitowoc, Captain W. H. Hemschemeyer, Decem- 
ber 29, 1 88 1. 

The strength of the regiment September 30, 1882, was 665 officers and men. 
The regiment went into camp at Oshkosh in 1882, from August 23 to August 28, the 
camp being named in honor of the colonel of the regiment, " Camp Bouck." There 
was an average attendance each day of 264 men. 

In the following year there were considerable changes in the companies compos- 
ing the regiment. Company H, the Prairie City Guard, was disbanded, having fallen 
below the minimum strength, and the Rankin Guard of Manitowoc, formerly Com- 
pany I, took its place. Through the disbandment of the Fourth Battalion, the Water- 
town Rifles, and the Burchard Guard, of Beaver Dam, were added to the regiment as 
Companies I and K respectively. In the re-union at Milwaukee, in August, 1884, five 



THE SECOND REGIMENT. 



129 



companies of the regiment were present, B, C, E, H and I. There were also a num- 
ber of changes in the field and staff. Colonel Bouck resigned and was succeeded in 
command May 21, 1883, by Sumner L. Brasted of Fond du Lac. The commission 
of Worthie H. Patton of Oshkosh, formerly Captain of Company B, as Lieutenant- 
Colonel, bore the same date. Anthony A. Kelly succeeded Major Marston in the 
fall of the same year. Adjutant Wheeler gave way to Lieutenant Foulkes July 25, 
[883, and January 10, 1SS5, Wil- 
liam F. Dicke became Quartermas- 
ter. September 30, 1 884, the regi- 
ment had a total strength of 684 
men, a loss over the muster of the 
preceding year of 30. Armories, 
clothing and subsistence of the regi- 
ment cost the State $6,729 in 1 883, 
and $7,521 in 1884. 

June 26, 1885, the Prison City 
Guards, of Waupun, were organized 
under special act of the Legislature, 
and added to the Second Regiment 
as Company L, bringing the total 
of the regiment up to eleven com- 
panies, more than that possessed 
by any of the other regiments. In 
the Milwaukee riots, in May, 1886, 
but one company from the Second 
Regiment took part, Company Lot 
Watertown. Colonel Patton, how- 
ever, was warned by Adjutant- 
General Chapman that orders for 
active service were probable, and 
all the companies of the regiment were ordered to be ready to respond at once 
to a call to arms, to which, however, was never found necessary. That year the 
Second Regiment went into camp at Manitowoc, where it was inspected by Colonel 
Charles King, and received very considerable praise in his report to the Adjutant- 
General. In the muster that year the regiment had a strength of 624 men, a loss over 
1885 of 31. Colonel Brasted was succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel Patton February 
8, 1886, and Major Kelly was promoted to be Lieutenant-Colonel, and Fritz Becker, 




COLONEL WORTHIE H. PATTON. 

SECOND REGIMENT. 



130 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARL). 




of Manitowoc, to be Major, the same day. Other changes in the field and staff were 
the appointments of F. C. Moulding, of Watertown, and A. C. Schweichler, of Man- 
itowoc, to be Assistant Surgeons in June, 1887; Frank P. Jones, of Manitowoc, to be 
Captain and Adjutant, February 5, 1887; G. H. McNeel, of Fond 
du Lac, to be Captain and Inspector of Rifle Practice, and Thomas 
S. Johnson, of Heaver Dam, to be Chaplain. 

The following year Company I was mustered out, but under 
the laws of 1 «S 8 5 , reducing the strength of the National Guard, 
this did not create a vacancy. In 1888 the Second Regiment 
went into camp at Ripon from August 13 to 18, and on the return 
home a portion of Colonel Pattern's command gave a dress parade 
at Fonddu Lac. March 20, [888, Orlando F. Weaver, of Beaver 
Dam, was commissioned Major. 

The next year the strength of the regiment was increased by 
the addition of two companies, Company I at Marinette, and M at Oconto, thus 
making a twelve company regiment, whose strength September 30, 1S90, was 677 
officers and men. The encampment of the regiment in 1889 was held at Oshkosh with 
an average attendance of 55 1, and in 1890 at Oconto with 519 men. In the inspection 
of 1 SS9 the regiment ranked third, and in [890 fourth. September 30, 1892, the 
strength of the regiment was 703 officers and men, a total of 41 more men than was 
possessed by its nearest competitor, the Third. In 1891 the regiment again ranked 
second, but in 1 S92 fell to third place again. The encampment of the regiment in 
(891 was held at Marinette, but since then, with the other regiments of the Guard, it 
has gone to the Military Reservation at Camp Douglas. 
The present officers of the regiment are : 



Lt.-Col. C. a. Born. 

SECOND REUIM6NT. 



Colonel, 
Lieutenant-Colonel, 



iors,-, 



Majoi 

( 

Adjutant, 
Quartermaster, - 

Inspector Small Arms Practice, 



Worth ie II . Patton. 
Charles A. Horn. 
Albert Soli. i day. 
Charles J. Hunter. 
Charles R. Boardman. 
Charles A. Green. 
Julius A. Nemitz. 
Gordon II. McNeel. 



The regiment in the inspection of 1894 attained first place. 



THE SECOND REGIMENT. 



131 



COMPANY A. MARSHFIELD. 



The Marshfield Light Infantry, which succeeded the old Manitowoc Volunteer 
Militia Company as Company A, was organized in 1889 as one of five provisional 
companies. In order to supply the command with arms with safety to the State, the 
Marshfield company, with the others, was 
regularly enlisted and mustered into the 
service of the State, but received neither 
pay or allowance. Prior to the encamp- 
ment of 1893, however, the company was 
admitted to the Second Regiment, and is 
now known as Company A. In the mus- 
ter of 1890 the company contained fifty- 
four men, and in 1892 fifty-seven men 
The present officers of the company are : 
Captain, Elmer E. Ames, who was com- 
missioned August 5, 1890; First Lieuten- 
ant, James H. Scott, commissioned Feb- 
ruary 13, 1893; Second Lieutenant, Peter 
A. Prescott, commissioned June 24, 1893. 



COMPANY B, OSHKOSM- 




MAJOK C. J. HUNTER 
SECOND REGIMENT. 



On March 25, 1876, Company B, then 
known as the Oshkosh Guard, was organ- 
ized with Captain Gabe Bouck in com- 
mand. His Lieutenants were George Bau- 
man and W. H. Patton, now Colonel of the regiment. Early in its history the 
company made a good record, for the Inspector in 1878 said of it: "This is a 
splendid company, well uniformed in blue, all arms and accoutrements in good condi- 
tion. There were fifty-seven men in line at inspection." W. II. Patton the following 
year became the First Lieutenant and W. S. Wheeler Second. Captain Bouck became 
Lieutenant Colonel of the newly-organized Second Regiment April 19, 1882, and 
Lieutenant Patton became Captain, with II. \V. Leach and Otto Laab as Lieutenants. 
Captain Patton's promotion to be Lieutenant-Colonel advanced Lieutenant Leach to 
the Captaincy January 1, 1884. John Kolf and David A. Merritt were his Lieuten- 



1.'52 



IK WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUAkl). 




MAJOR C. R. BOA RDMAN 

I .... I. I, l ..l M | | 



ants. Geo. 15. McC. Hilton succeeded Captain Leach 
in [886. Nicholas I'. Kolf and Thomas II. Quinn 
were his Lieutenants. That year the company mus- 
tered fifty-five men. In [889 the company ranked 
eighteenth in the Slate, in 1X90 twelfth, in 1S91 fifth, 
and in 1X92 fourth, a steady increase in order of merit 
difficult to excel. The present officers of the com- 
pany are: Captain, George 15. McC. Hilton; First 
Lieutenant, Nicholas P. Kolf; Second Lieutenant, 
Thomas II. Quinn. 

COMPANY C, SHEBOYGAN 

I In- Evergreen City Cadets were organized in the 
autumn of [869 and adopted the gray cadet uni- 
form. C. A. Lorn was commissioned Captain March 
7, [870. The company was disbanded in 1873, but 
March 4, [874, under the supervision of < . Herwig, the Evergreen City Guard were 
01 ganized. 

The following officers were elected: Captain, C. Herwig; hirst Lieutenant, Will- 
iam Bendler ; Second Lieutenant, Hermann Belib. In February, [877, the uniform of 
the ;th Regiment, New York, was adopted. 

In [880 the company was ordered to Madison to participate in the inauguration 
of Governor Smith, and again in 1SS2 for the same purpose. In June, [880, it partici- 
pated in the reunion at Milwaukee, 
and received third prize, Sioo, and 
in 1 884, at the inter-State prize-drill 
near Milwaukee, it carried oil' the 
first prize, $ 1 ,000. Again in 1SS4, 
at Milwaukee, it received fourth 
prize. In May 4, 1 S S 5 , the com- 
mand went to the inter State prize 
drill at Mobile, Ala., hut withdrew 
from the contest, 'l'he company 
then visited the World's Exposi 
1 1< 111 at New ( Irleans. 

( )n Augusl 11. [888, full)' armory co c, second regiment, sheboygan. 




THE SECOND REGIMENT. 



133 



equipped for heavy marching, Company C marched from Sheboygan to Ripon, a dis- 
tance of seventy-one miles, in three clays. This was the first camp at which the com- 
pany appeared in full blue army regulation dress and fatigue uniform. In August, 1889, 
the company camped at ( )shkosh, and iri ( (ctober drilled at the Milwaukee Exposition. 
In October, [892, under command of Captain II. W. Trester.it participated in the cere- 
monies incident to the dedication of the World's Fair. Company C has participated 
in all the encampments of the Second Regiment, with the exception of [882. During 
the riots of [886, at Milwaukee, the company kept men at the armory on duty for 
twenty-four hours. The company's armory was destroyed by fire in September, 1880, 
but in 1 88 1 the company built its own ar- 
mory at a cost of $4,100. This armory 
building was sold January, 1S93, the com- 
pany retaining the ground. The com- 
pany's quarters since then are at Born's 
Park I [all. The Legislature in 1 892 passed 
a law permitting a loan of $\ 5,000 to Com- 
pany C for the purpose of erecting an ar- 
mory. The company has not yet availed 
itself of this oiler. 




CAPT. I. A. NEMITZ. 
QUARTERMASTER SECOND REGIMENT. 



COMPANY D, RIPON. 

Hugo Schultz, Ferdinand Fihl and 
Edward Katt were commissioned officers 
of the Ripon Rifles in April and Jul)', 1S7S. 
The company was organized March 28, 
1879. The company then, and for some time afterwards, was composed exclusively 
of Germans, and was considered a very strong organization. Lieutenant Fihl re- 
signed in [882, and Lieutenant Katt was promoted, and II. E. Giese commissioned 
Second Lieutenant. The company that year took thirty-six men into camp at Osh- 
kosh, out of a strength of seventy-four men. February 19, [884, B. E. Jussen was 
elected Captain, and Frank Gruetzmacher Second Lieutenant. Lieutenant Gruetz- 
macher became Captain March 1, [886. His Lieutenants then were Emil Reek and 
August Paskarbeit. In 1888 Richard Wallner became Second Lieutenant. In 1889 
the company stood fortieth on inspection, but in [890 gained four places. In [891 
the command rose to thirty-second place, mustering forty-six out of fifty-six men on 
inspection. Next year the company lost three places. The present officers of the 



134 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



company are: Captain, F. W. Gruetzmacher ; First Lieutenant, Emil 
Second Lieutenant, Charles Haak. 



C. Reek ; 



COMPANY E, FOND DU LAC. 




The Fond du Lac Guards was 
organized and mustered into the 
Wisconsin National Guard April 6, 
1880, with S. L. Brasted as Captain. 
Colonel J. A. Watrous was the mus- 
tering officer. The organization of 
the Second Regiment was effected 
the following year. Captain S. L. 
Brasted was promoted to be Colonel. 
C. J. Hunter was elected Captain, 
and held the position until 1892, 
when he was advanced to the rank 
of Major. G. H. McNeel was First 
Lieutenant under Captain Hunter 
until he was appointed Inspector of 
Small Arms Practice of the regi- 
ment. On April 5, 1892, three new 
commissions were issued, with Ed. 
T. Markle as Captain, Samuel H. 
Longdin, First Lieutenant ; Charles 
H. Tripp, Second Lieutenant. In 
the inspection of 1892, conducted by 
armory co. b, second regiment, pond du lac. Captain J. B. Kerr, Sixth United 
States Cavalry, the company ranked fifth in the State. In 1 893, under First Lieu- 
tenant VV. L. Buck, Thirteenth United States Infantry, the company ranked second. 

In 1 8yo the company was incorporated without capital stock for the purpose of 
owning and holding real estate. The same year the company bought its present 
armory, and with the improvements made since the citizens and members of the com- 
pany feel justly proud of it. A well-furnished officers' room is just to the right of the 
entrance. The floor space of the drill room is 50 x 90 feet. The armory has water works 
and sewer connection, and is lighted by 100 incandescent lights. The company drills 



THE SECOND REGIMENT. 



135 



on Monday evenings, and the armor}- is open two evenings each week outside of drill 
night for the pleasure of the members of the company. Early in the summer of 1894 
the officers of the civil organization purchased a strip of land 140 rods long, and con- 
structed a range, which was dedicated July 20, just one month before going to camp. 
Only members of the company, who had qualified seventy-two per cent, in gallery 
practice were allowed to fire the regulation shell. In the competition for Regimental 
team during the camp of the Second, Lieutenant C. H. Tripp took second place, and 
the week following, in competition for State team, the Lieutenant was seventh, return- 
ing home a distinguished marksman. The company has a membership of sixty-two. 




i 






1 j^H 







ARMORY CO. F, SECOND REGIMENT, OSHKOSH. 



COMPANY F> OSHKOSH- 



Company F was organized April 8, 1880. Colonel George W. Burchard was the 
mustering officer. The company officers elected were: Captain, Sebastian Ostertag ; 
First Lieutenant, Frederick Meeker; Second Lieutenant, Michael Monahan. All were 
commissioned in April, 1880. 

The following is a list of all company commanders up to date: 

Sebastian Ostertag, April, 1880, to July, 1880; J. N. Ruby, July, 1880, to May, 



136 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

1883 ; E. F. Henderson, May, 1883, to September, 1884 ; Henry C. Horn, September, 
1SS4, to February, 1S86; Charles R. Boardman, February, 1886, to February, 1892; 
Julius A. Nemitz, February, 1892, to December, 1893; U. G. Carl, December, 1893, 
and in command at the present time. 

The company was ordered out for active service during the Milwaukee riots, 
May 4, 1886. 

The telegram was received at 10 o'clock A. m., and at noon every man in the 
company was in the ranks. They remained at the armory two days awaiting orders, 
but the trouble having passed, they were dismissed without their services being 
required. The only contest the company ever took part in was a prize drill with 
Company B of the Second Regiment, on January 28, 1887, and though drill was very 
close, Company F came off victorious. 



COMPANY G, APPLETON. 



J. H. Marston, II. C. Sloan and D. C. Pavey, were the first commissioned officers 
of the Appleton Light Infantry, and their commissions dated from the day of organi- 
zation of the command, October 27, 1SS1. Captain Marston served until June 10, 
[882, when he was succeeded in command by Lieutenant Sloan; W. H. Chilson was 
elected First Lieutenant. When the Second Regiment was formed, the Appleton 
Light Infantry was made Company G, and at that time had a total strength of 88 
men, of which it took 30 into camp at Oshkosh. It received the first year of its 
organization $726 from the State for armory, clothing and subsistence. There was a 
general change of officers in 1883. Nathan E. Morgan became Captain, and Charles 
P. Richmond and Michael F. Lennon Lieutenants. Henry Becker and Charles Green 
were the Lieutenants in 1887. Lieutenant Green became first Lieutenant in 1888, and 
Harry W. Green Second Lieutenant. In the inspection of 1889, Company G ranked 
sixth, the highest place taken by any company in the regiment, which place it held 
the following year, and again in 1 891, but in 1892 it lost one place. The present 
officers of the company are : Captain, Nathan E. Morgan ; First Lieutenant, Joseph 
W. Schreiter, commissioned February 3, 1893, to succeed Lieutenant Green, who 
became Adjutant of the regiment, and Second Lieutenant, Maurice S. Peerenboom. 

COMPANY M. MANITOWOC. 



This company was organized as the Rankin Guards, in honor of Joseph Rankin, 
a member of the 48th and 49th Congress, December 29, 1881. W. H. Hemschemeyer 



THE SECOND REGIMENT. 



137 



was the first Captain ; Ole Benson, First Lieutenant, and Emil Baenisch, the present 
Lieutenant-Governor elect, the Second Lieutenant. The company became Company I 
of the Second Regiment, but, on the disbandment of the Prairie City Guard, of Ripon, 
some time later, was made Company H. In 1883 Lieutenant Baenisch became Cap- 
tain, and F. P. Jones and Ernest Wagner, Jr., Lieutenants. The company in 1884 
mustered 67 men. William Kunz and Herman Guttman 
were Lieutenants under Captain Baenisch the following two 
years. William Brandt succeeded Captain Baenisch Novem- 
ber 30, 1888, and William Abel Lieutenant. In 1889 Com- 
pany H ranked thirtieth, but the following year made the 
phenomenal jump to fourth place. The next year, however, 
it fell to seventeenth place, and the following year to thirty- 
second. Otto Sonsthagan of the company became a marks- 
man in 1 891. The present officers of the company are: 
Captain, William Abel ; First Lieutenant, Charles A. Groff- 
man ; Second Lieutenant, Edward Thorison ; all commis- 
sioned June 2~, 1893. The strength of the company July 1, 1894, was fifty-five offi- 
cers and men. 




Capt Charles A. Gkekn. 

ADJUTANT SECOND REGIMENT. 



COMPANY I, MARINETTE. 



The successors to the Watertown Rifles as Company I, of the Second Regiment, 
was organized in 1889. The commission of Captain Greene bears date May 1, 1889, 
as does that of Lieutenant Hodgins. The year of its organization the company rated 
twenty-fifth in the State, and showed fifty-nine men on muster out of a strength of 
sixty-five. In 1890 the company jumped to seventh place. In 1891 the company lost 
two places, which position it retained in 1892. In 1891 the Second Regiment en- 
camped at Marinette, and it was greatly owing to the efforts of Company I that the 
arrangements for the encampment were perfected for a satisfactory week. Company 
I's predecessor, the Watertown Rifles, was the only company from the Second Regi- 
ment which took part in the supression of the 1886 riots in Milwaukee, where it had 
over forty men on duty, and aided in protecting the Allis Works. 



COMPANY K. BEAVER DAM. 



The Beaver Dam Guard, of Beaver Dam, was organized October 4, 1S80, as the 
Burchard Guard. Orlando F. Weaver was elected Captain, and Alverde A. Bassett 

J 



138 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



and Frank F. Corydon, Lieutenants. Lieutenant Corydon became First Lieutenant 
the following year, and John Carroll was promoted. The company then numbered 
seventy-three men. When the old Fourth Battalion was formed, May 26, 1881, the 
Burchard Guard was assigned to it, but on the disbandment of 
the batallion was assigned to the Second Regiment as Com- 
pany K. In 1884 John Carroll became First Lieutenant and E. 
E. Lewis Second Lieutenant. Lieutenant Lewis became Captain 
in 1S88. John F. Guilfoyle and Julius Morrow were his Lieu- 
tenants. Company K, in 1889, stood twenty-second, but in 
1890 fell to thirtieth place, and in 1891 to thirty-third. The fol- 
lowing year, however, it gained four ranks. The present officers 
of the company are : Captain, John F. Guilfoyle ; First Lieu- 
tenant, R. V. O. Weaver; Second Lieutenant, William Bearder. 
Their commissions are all dated from July 12, 1893. 




Capt. A. Judson Morse. 

»5ST. SURGEON SECOND REGIMENT. 



COMPANY L, ASHLAND. 



The Ashland Rifles were organized in 1889 as one of five provisional companies, 
which were at once mustered into the service of the State for three years, and supplied 
with arms. The Second Regiment at that time had its full quota of companies, and 
so the Ashland organization remained a provisional company until the disbandment 
of Company L, of Waupun, gave it an opening. Just in time it was, too, for soon 
afterward the " provisional company feature " of the Wisconsin National Guard was 
abolished. G. H. Hopper was at first Captain, but he was soon succeeded by Newton 
I. Miller. His Lieutenants were William R. Montgomery and Edward J. Thompson. 
Lieutenant Montgomery resigned a year later. Lieutenant Thompson was then pro- 
moted, and H. P. Padley became Second Lieutenant. Six months later Lieutenant 
Thompson resigned, and Lieutenant Padley being promoted, Peter Lamal was com- 
missioned Second Lieutenant. October 21, 1893, Lieutenant Padley became Captain, 
First Sergeant E. E. Tennant became First Lieutenant, and Luther F. Durfee Second 
Lieutenant. These are the present officers. Captain Padley was born in Lincolnshire, 
England, and was for a number of years First Lieutenant in the Lincolnshire Regi- 
ment of Foot, Third Batallion, He is a fine soldier. 



THE SECOND REGIMENT. 139 

COMPANY M, OCONTO. 

In the summer of 1886 there were several meetings called by W. H. Youii"- and 
others for the purpose of forming a military company at Oconto, but organization 
was not made until January, 1887, when the "Oconto River Drivers" was organized 
with L. S. Bailey as Captain, but shortly after the name was changed to Oconto Light 
Guards. In 1888 William G. Links was elected Captain, and Wilbur M. Lee First 
Lieutenant, Harris Frank as Second Lieutenant. May 2, 1889, the name was changed 
to Oconto Centennial Rifles, and the company was mustered into service as Company 
M, Second Regiment Wisconsin National Guards, with Wilbur M. Lee, Captain ; Wil- 
liam G. Links, First Lieutenant, and George E. Bond Second Lieutenant. These 
officers still hold their places in Company M. In 1889 the company decided to build 
an armory, and made a loan for that purpose. 

This year the company has leased a strip of land on the shore of Green Bay for 
range purposes, and have fitted up a range house. The present strength of the Com- 
pany is sixty-seven. From May 1, 1889, Company M's records show 1 59 enlistments, 
62 re-enlistments, 138 honorable discharges, 16 exclusions, 1 death. 

In 1889 the company went to encampment with the Second Regiment at Osh- 
kosh, and has camped with the regiment ever since. 

In 1 889 Company M had a system of By-Laws, Constitution and Council of Admin- 
istration — but this plan was found to be a failure and was dropped after a few meet- 
ings, and the affairs of the company are now left to the officers in charge. 




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CHAPTER XI 



THE THIRD REGIMENT. 




r 



THE THIRD'S MASCOT, "COXEY.' 



"HE Third Regiment, like 
the Second, is com- 
posed of three battalions, and 
is therefore one of the two 
large commands. In July, 
1894, it numbered 742 men. 
A peculiar fact in connection 
with the regiment is that 
with few exceptions it has 
been commanded by the 
same men for many years. 
The regiment has always 
stood high in the inspec- 
tions made yearly, and particularly excels in target practice. In 1891 seven 
of the twenty-one sharpshooters came from the Third, and twenty-three of 
the forty-four marksmen. In 1892 the records were one out of two, and sixteen 
out of eighteen. In the present class of distinguished marksmen the Third has twelve 
out of twenty-six. Although on the State rifle team this year there are but two names 
from the Third, yet Private Ludington of Company A ranks first, with sixty-five 
points more to his credit than his nearest competitor. The Third has always been a 
staunch friend of the military reservation near camp Douglas. Indeed, two members 
of its field and staff may be counted as among the original founders of the place. 
The Third also had, as has already been stated, the honor of first camping on the new 
grounds. During the last encampment, out of the strength of 742 officers and men, 
there were 686 on duty the first day, which number was increased to considerable over 
700 in the next twenty-four hours. 

The present Third Regiment is the outgrowth of the old Third Battalion which 

was organized in 1881, with M. T. Moore, of La Crosse, as Lieutenant-Colonel. 

1+1 



142 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



Colonel Moore is in command to this day. On July 29 of that year, Colonel Moore 
issued his General Order No. 1 announcing the field, staff and non-commissioned 
staff of the newly-formed battalion. It was as follows: 

Lieutenant-Colonel — M. T. Moore, La Crosse. 
Major — B. F. Parker, Mauston. 
Adjutant — Louis Tillman, La Crosse. 
Quartermaster — John R. Cannon, Neillsville. 
Sergeant-Major — F. H. Hankerson, La Crosse. 
Quartermaster Sergeant — G. K. Redmond, Neillsville. 
Commissary Sergeant — O. F. Headstream, Mauston. 
Hospital Steward- — William Stewart, Unity. 
Surgeon — D. R. Freeman, Unity. 
Color Sergeant — William Kallenbach, La Crosse. 
Chief Musician — F. E. Grimmer, Mauston. 

There were five companies to this newly organized battalion, and they were dis- 
tinguished by letter as follows : 

Company A, Sherman Guard, Neillsville. 
Company B, Governor's Guard, La Crosse. 
Company C, La Crosse Light Guard, La Crosse. 
Company D, Mauston Light Guard, Mauston. 
Company E, Unity Guard, Unity. 

With his command of these five companies Colonel Moore went into camp at 
La Crosse the following fall, from September 26 to October 1. The camp was named 
" Camp Ed. Bryant." The two La Crosse companies had charge 
of the preliminary local arrangements at La Crosse. There was 
reveille, as now, at 5:30, guard mount at 9, drill at 10 and 2, 
dress parade at 5 and taps at 10. During that and the follow- 
ing year there was but two changes in the field and staff of the 
battalion. Chief Musician Grimmer was succeeded by E. N. 
Marky of Company A, and Surgeon Freeman by Charles E. 
Rogers of La Crosse. In 1882 the annual encampment of the 
battalion was held, beginning August 14, at Devil's Lake. It 
was named " Camp Chapman." The routine of duty there was 
similar to the programme carried out at La Crosse the year pre- 
vious, except that the dress parade was held after supper at 6:30. About this time 
Hospital Steward Stewart was relieved and succeeded by M. W. Mullowney of Maus- 




Col. Maktin T. Moore 

THIRD REGIMENT. 



THE THIRD REGIMENT. 143 

ton. The camp at Devil's Lake was visited by Governor Rusk and Adjutant-General 
Chapman, who inspected the battalion. 

In the spring of 1883 (April 30) the old Third Battalion ceased to exist, and in 
its place arose the Third Regiment of to-day, four new companies having been added 
to the original five. On May 3, 18S3, the company officers of the new regiment as- 
sembled at La Crosse to elect regimental officers, the battalion officers having resigned 
to simplify matters. The election resulted in the commissions of the following offi- 
cers, many of whom are on service with the regiment to-day : 

Colonel — M. T. Moore, La Crosse. 
Lieutenant-Colonel — B. F. Parker, Mauston. 
Major — T. J. George, Menomonie. 
Surgeon {Major) — C. E. Rogers, La Crosse. 
Assistant Surgeon (Captain) — -J. B. Edwards, Mauston. 
Adjutant (First Lieutenant) — Louis Tillman, La Crosse. 
Quartermaster (First Lieutenant) — August Kickbush, Wausau. 
Judge Advocate (First Lieutenant) — R. J. MacBride, Neillsville. 
Sergeant-Major — Alfred Metzger, La Crosse. 
Quartermaster-Sergeant — G. K. Redmond, Neillsville. 
Commissary-Sergeant — John C. Britt, Portage. 
Hospital Steward — Charles Sniteman, Neillsville. 
Chief Musician — VV. H. Clifton, Menomonie. 

Company E, Unity Guards, had, in the meantime, been disbanded, and the 
regiment started in with the following companies : 

Company A, Sherman Guard, Neillsville. 
Company B, Governor's Guard, La Crosse. 
Company C, La Crosse Light Guard, La Crosse. 
Company D, Mauston Light Guard, Mauston. 
Company E, Germania Guard, Wausau. 
Company F, Guppy Guard, Portage. 
Company G, Wausau Light Guard, Wausau. 
Company H, Ludington Guard, Menomonie. 

That year the first regimental encampment was held. It was at Sparta, from 
August 20 to August 25. The hours of service that year were not very materially 
changed, excepting that reveille was held at 5 o'clock instead of 5:30. The camp was 
named " Camp Tyler." In the fall of 1883, Company G, of Wausau, had the honor 
of being designated as the Color Company, and the regimental colors were placed in 



144 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



its keeping. Commissary-Sergeant Britt was relieved from duty May 17, 1884, and 
Sergeant Clarke Older, of Company F, appointed to succeed him. 

In 1 884 the Third Regiment went into camp at Mauston, from June 16 to June 
21. "Camp Stewart" it was called. But this was not the only tour of camp duty 
the Third had that year. The Light Horse Squadron, of Milwaukee, had extended a 
general invitation to the Wisconsin National Guard for a camp at Milwaukee, August 
25 to August 30. After consultation with the company commanders Colonel Moore 
ordered the regiment into camp there at that date. The Third took over 400 men to 
" Camp Alexander Mitchell," and of its performance there Adjutant-General Chap- 
man said in his report : 
" The regiment made a 
magnificent appearance 
and won the repeated and 
enthusiastic commendation 
of the group of regular ar- 
my officers in attendance 
on the encampment," and 
again " with the benefits of 
its earlier encampment, its 
full ranks and its greater 
similarity of uniform, the 
regiment made a magnifi- 
cent appearance." It was 
"a stronger regiment of 
State troops than had ever 
before been on duty in 
Wisconsin." Two new companies that year raised the strength of the regiment materi- 
ally. They were Company I, Sparta Rifles, Sparta, and Company K, Tomah Guards, 
Tomah. There were several changes in the field and staff in 1883 and 1884. Captain 
J. I?. Edwards was promoted to be Surgeon, with the rank of Major, and J. E. Garry, 
of Wausau, was appointed Assistant Surgeon and Captain. Alfred F. Metzger 
succeeded Lieutenant Tillman as Adjutant. George A. Ludington, of Neillsville, 
became Quartermaster. James P. Galiger, of Tomah, was made Regimental Chaplain. 

The camp in 1885 was held at Chippewa Falls, from September 7 to September 
12, and in 1886 at Wausau, from June 14 to June 19 — " Camp Moore." In the com- 
petitive drill that year Company G, of Wausau, for a second time carried off the 
banner. Companies K and F ranked second and third respectively. The conduct of 
the regiment during that camp was such as to call for the heartiest praise from 




BUGLE CORPS OF THE THIRII REGIMENT. 



THE THIRD REGIMENT. 145 

Governor Rusk, as expressed in a communication to Colonel Moore, from which the 
following is taken : "The degree of proficiency attained is considered remarkable, 
and the regiment has every reason to be proud of its record." During the year the 
La Crosse Light Guard was mustered out of service, at its own request, and the Eau 
Claire Light Guard took its place as Company C. At the muster held September 30, 
1886, the regimental strength was 57S officers and men. During 1X85 the Third 
Regiment cost the State for armory, clothing and subsistence the sum of 510,797. 71, 
,\nt\ in iNX<> S9.444.47. The only change in the field and staff up to this time was the 
appointment of E. H. Grannis, of Menomonie, as additional Assistant Surgeon with 
rank of Captain, and of Gurdon II. VVinsor, of Mauston, as Inspector of Rifle Practii e, 
also with the rank of Captain. 

In the spring of 1887 the Eau Claire Light Guard was mustered out and the 
Hudson City Guard was made Company C. "Camp Rusk " was held at Portagi 
June 20 to June 25, 1887, and "(amp Womer" at Menomonie June 1 1 to June 1 1 >, 
1888. The Germania Guard, of Wausau, was mustered out in the spring of [ 888 
and the Griffin Rifles, of Eau Claire, was made Company E April jo. The cost of 
the Third Regiment to the State in 1887 was $10,217.72, and in 1888 #10,148.10. 
Jacob D. Womer, of Wausau, was made a Major of the regiment August 23, 1888, in 
addition to Major George, ami May 4, [889, Orlando Holway,ofLa Crosse, succeeded 
Adjutant Metzger. 

In [889 the Third went into camp at Camp Douglas, and out of a total strength 
of 653, 464 men were present. The pay of these men and the officers for the week 
was $5,180.70. In the annual inspection that year the Third was second in merit, 
the different companies, A to I., having the following relative rank in the National 
Guard: 33, 7, 24, 26, 12, 11, [9, 17, 34, 23 and 15. In 1890 and every year suc- 
ceeding the regiment has gone to the military reservation for a week'. In the inspection 
ill i8()i the Third went down a notch and was third out of four. This year it is 
again second, while the three battalions rank fourth, eighth and third out often. 

Two companies have been added lately, making the Third a three-battalion 
regiment. These are Company L, Eau Claire, May 13, 1889, and Company M, La 
Crosse, 1891. The Third has now three Majors, Alfred 1'. Gross, of Hudson, having 
been commissioned June 21, 1893. The other regimental change- was the appoint 
ment of George Graham, of Tomah, to succeed Gurdon II. Winsor as Inspector of 
Small Arms Practice. The dates of the encampment of the regiment .it the military 
reservation for the last five years are as follows: 1889, June 17 to June 25; 1890, 
July 7 to July 12; [891, August 10 to August I 5 ; 1892, July 1 8 to July 23; [893, 
August 6 to August 12; 1894, July 29 to August 5. 



146 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



COMPANY A, NEILLSVILLE. 



This company was organized as an independent 

» company in 1876, and was called the Clark County 

Zouaves. Joshua W. Tolford was elected Captain, Wil- 
, M Ham Nevermann and Ross A. De Gross Lieutenants. 

The company was re-organized February 14, 1878, and 
the name changed to Sherman Guards. J. W. Ferguson 
was the first Captain of this new organization and John 
R. Cannon and George A. Ludington the Lieutenants. 
In 1 881 the company was assigned to the Third bat- 
talion, which in 1883 became the Third Regiment. In 
the spring of 1883 George A. Ludington succeeded Cap- 
tain Ferguson, and when he was commissioned Regi- 
mental Quartermaster in 1884, Captain Ferguson took 
his old place, but the following year again resigned and 
was followed by Isaac T. Carr. Captain Carr remained at 
the head of the company for less than a year, William A. Poate succeeding him. Cap- 
tain Poate served until 1 888, when George A. Ure took command of the company. John 
W. Hommell, the present Captain, was commissioned May 22, 1891. Company A 
first went into camp in 1881 at La Crosse. The company contains some very fine 
shots, among whom Jacques, Eilert, Ludington, Lacey and Pratt may be mentioned. 
In 1893 the company had three men on the State team and Musician Huntzicker won 
the Falk medal. Company A was one of the original companies of the present 
Third Regiment. 




LlKl'T.-COL. B. F. PARKKK. 



THIflO REGIMEN 



COMPANY B, LA CROSSE. 



The Governor's Guard, as it was formerly called, was organized August 1, 1873, 
under Captain Charles De Villiers. Charles Miller succeeded Mr. De Villiers as 
Captain, and it was under his administration that the foundations for the present 
armory were laid. This armory is now considered one of the best in the State. It 
has a large drill-room, quarters for the commissioned and non-commissioned officers, 
dining-room and kitchen. Everything about the building is in first-class shape. 

When Captain Miller resigned he was succeeded by J. Tausche, who in turn was 
followed by Frank J. Toeller as Captain. Louis Tillman, once Adjutant of the regi- 
ment, followed Mr. Toeller, and he was succeeded by J. E. Kircheis, now one of the 



THE THIRD REGIMENT. 



147 



Majors of the Third. E. T. Kircheis was the next Captain, who made way for the 
present incumbent, E. H. Kaulfuss. Mr. Kaulfuss rose from the ranks, being suc- 
cessively Private, Corporal, Sergeant, First Sergeant and Second Lieutenant. The 
best shots in the company are considered to be Sergeant E. A. Rademacher, •Lieuten- 
ant George Ott, Captain Kaulfuss, Lieutenant Schultz, Corporal Getsclie and Private 
Roemer. In the inspection of 1894 the company stood very well. 

Company B is divided into two sections, the active and passive, or the military 
and civil. To become a member of the latter, one first has to serve six consecutive 
years, and have an attendance of fifty per cent., after which he is admitted and en- 
titled to all the rights and privileges except voting for the commissioned officers. 
Connected with the Association is the Benevolent part. Any member becoming sick 
and unable to work is entitled to $4.00 per week, and, if necessary, two members of 
the company are detailed for night-watch. In case of death each member is assessed 
Si. 00 and the money at once paid to the heirs of deceased. The names of the officers 
of the civil part of this organization are as follows : President, F. R. Hickish ; Vice- 
President, William Berg ; Recording Secretary, William Roellig ; Financial Secretary, 
O. Reichelt ; Treasurer, W. Ott. Board of Directors: N. C. Batchelder, J. E. 
Kircheis, George Falk, George Will and E. Rademacher. 



COMPANY C, HUDSON. 



The Hudson City Guard was organized shortly after, or about the 1st of 
November, 1885, with A. P. Goss, a recent graduate of the Shattuck Military School, 
as Captain. The first meeting was called to order by H. F. Dinsmore as chairman, 
and J. A. Frear as secretary, in the G. A. R. Hall in Dippo block. Mr. Goss was the 
natural selection for Captain. H. F. Dinsmore was suggested for First Lieutenant and 
Will Gill for Second Lieutenant. Many difficulties were 
encountered, and it was found necessary to organize and 
re-organize. Finally quarters were secured in the old 
Music Hall for drilling, and the company commenced work 
on the " facings." A consignment of old rifles was received 
by the new company from the Quartermaster-General's 
office. In honor of the creditable showing made by the 
Hudson City Guards during the war, it was unanimously 
resolved to adopt the name, dropping the letter " s " from 
the last word. Dress uniforms were ordered and paid for major jituus e. kircheis. 
by each member. Monday night was chosen for regular 




THIRD REGIMENT. 



148 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



drills, and is maintained as such until the present day. Entertainments, excursions 
and balls were given to defray incidental expenses, and efforts made to secure admis- 
sion into the National Guard, and when Company C, Third Infantry at Eau Claire 

was mustered out, the Hudson Guard was invited to com- 
pete with an Ashland company to fill the vacancy. As a 
result the Hudson City Guard was mustered in June 17, 
&&' ^^^. 1887. The company left two days later for camp with the 

^y * I Third Regiment at Portage. 

^p Limited quarters had interfered with many company 

movements at the old armory. By means of a generous 
subscription list the company was enabled to fix up its 
present quarters, which are much larger and in every way 
more convenient. The armory is a one-story brick build- 
ing, with drill hall 50 x 100, a gun-room and a parlor, all 
of which are neatly furnished. In two corners of the main 
major t. j. gkorge hall are the Quartermaster's Department. The "gun- 

room " is occupied by fifty double lockers, and is used by 
the members as a dressing-room. The armory is located in practically the heart of 
the town, and as the rental of the armor)- includes the use of a large vacant lot, the 
company finds it very convenient during the summer months for out-door drills. 

The company had had nearly 250 men at different times on its muster rolls 
since 1887, out of which but two deaths have occurred. But five of the charter 
members still remain with the company: Captain, Nash, Lieutenants McDowell and 
Nye, Orderly Sergeant E. S. Ross and Quartermaster Sergeant A. J. Kinney. The 
company has had but two Captains since its organization, A. P. Goss and G. J. Nash. 
The company has at present a membership of fifty-six men, and was one of the two 
companies of the Third Regiment that took its entire strength to camp this year. 

Company C was one of the four companies held in readiness from July 9 to 11, 
1894, to go to Spooner to suppress the railroad trouble. Captain Nash received the 
orders at 12 o'clock Sunday night, July 8. At 3:45 the next morning had fifty out of 
fifty-six men (the balance being out of the city) at the armory equipped in heavy 
marching order. 



COMPANY D, MAUSTON. 



The Mauston Light Guard was organized October 11, 1875, and was the out- 
growth of an older company. The commissions of W. N. Remington, B. E. Parker, 






THE THIRD REGIMENT. 



149 




and William Towers, the officers, date from November 20. In 1S7X the company had 
a Zouave uniform, and used a large hall for an armory. Although the company was 
small it received complimentary notice for its discipline and drill. Two years later 
the company was closed in the regulation National Guard 
uniform, with the exception that the men wore hats instead 
of caps, and the trimmings were white. The inspector that 
year says in his report : " Too much praise cannot be given 
for the determined efforts of this company to maintain its 
position in the front ranks of the Wisconsin National Guard." 
When the Third Batallion was formed, the Mauston Light 
Guard was made Company D, a designation which it has 
held ever since. In 1882 the officers were: Captain, R. P. 
Powers; First Lieutenant, G. H. Winsor; Second Lieuten- 
ant, I lenry Schall. Their commissions were dated August 
24, 1 88 1. December 30, 1882, the officers were again changed as follows: Captain, 
Henry Schall ; First Lieutenant, W. P. Winsor ; Second Lieutenant, I 7 rank Underwood. 
February 27, 1888, Lieutenant Winsor became Captain. He had for his Lieutenants 
Frank A. Underwood and William A. Grimmer. In the inspection of 1889 Company 
D took twenty-sixth place, but gained one place the next year. In 1891 the com- 
pany was thirty- first, where it remained in 1892. In 1891 there were three men from 
Company D out of the twenty who qualified as sharpshooters. These were Lieutenant 
Gray, Captain Grimmer and Private Winsor. The company also scored two marks- 
men, Privates Basford and McMillan. The present officers of the Company are : Cap- 
tain, William A. Grimmer; First Lieutenant, Fdward R. Patterson; Second Lieu- 
tenant, John Turner. 



Major Alfred p. Goss. 

THIRD REGIMENT, 



COMPANY E, EAU CLAIRE. 



The Griffin Rifles, originally organized as an independent company in the fall of 
1887, were mustered into the Wisconsin National Guard April 20, 1888, as Company 
F, Third Regiment — securing admission to the State service as the best of three com- 
panies inspected by Adjutant-General Chapman. The company was named in honor 
of General Michael Griffin, of Eau Claire (Past Department Commander of the 
Grand Army of the Republic, and Quartermaster-General of the State of Wisconsin 
during the administration of Governor Hoard). The first commissioned officers of the 
company were: Captain, Harry B. McMaster ; First Lieutenant, Joseph M. Ballard ; 
Second Lieutenant, John F. Farr. The company went to camp for the first time in the 
summer of 1888 at Menomonie. Perhaps the most striking events in the history of 



150 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



the Griffin Rifles occurred during the summer of 1889, when the command had been 
in the service of the State little more than a year. On the night of the 19th of July, 
about three weeks after the return from camp, the Rifles were unexpectedly called 
into active service. While one of the principal social events of that season was at its 
height, Captain McMaster, who was among the guests, received, about midnight, the 
following telegram from the Commander-in-Chief: 

Madison, Wis., July 19, 1889. 
To Captain H. B. McMaster, Eau Claire : 

Muster your company and proceed at once to West Superior, and report for duty to 

Mayorof West Superior and Sheriff. WILLIAM I). HOARD. 

Governor. 
The members of the company 

who were at the reception were 
quickly notified, and but a short time 
had elapsed when they appeared at 
the armory for duty. Messengers 
had been quickly dispatched 
throughout the city, and in an hour 
after the receipt of the telegram 
about fifty men were at the armory 
in uniform, under arms, fully 
equipped and ready to start. Kail 
cartridges were issued- from the 
supply at the armory. The com- 
mand marched to the Omaha depot 
in the early light of a beautiful sum- 
mer morning, and boarded the 4 
o'clock train for West Superior, ac- 
companied by Quartermaster-Gen- 
eral Griffin. The riotious demon- 
stration of several hundred strikers 
had prompted the West Superior capt. jos. m. hallard. co. e, third regiment. 

authorities to call for troops. A general strike had been inaugurated; the police 
force, occupied with the protection of coal docks, had been overwhelmed by rioters, 
who compelled workingmen who were willing to work to desist from labor on public 
improvements and at the docks ; mob rule was being rapidly inaugurated, and the 
situation had an ugly look. Company E arrived at Superior at 9:30 the morning of 
the 20th, and was given the city hall for barracks. The company was immediately 




THE THIRD REGIMENT. 151 

ordered out to intercept a body of strikers reported to be moving on the trenches 
where laborers were working. " The strikers were encountered," says a press dispatch 
of that date, " and were much surprised at the soldiers' sudden appearance, and many 
faint-hearted strikers began to steal away from the scene. The prompt action of 
Governor Hoard, and the fine appearance and soldierly conduct of the troops, are 
subjects of much favorable comment." 

Sunday was spent in a comparatively quiet manner. On Monday morning a 
mob of about two hundred men started out to " run the town ;" while the greater por- 
tion of the Rifles, under Captain McMaster, were protecting laborers at the coal docks, 
the mob was encountered by Lieutenant Ballard with nineteen men, and by the firm- 
ness of General Griffin, who had hurried to the scene, was dispersed under the most 
critical circumstances. A thousand rounds of ammunition, hurriedly forwarded, were 
received from Madison for the Griffin Rifles, while, late in the afternoon, Company L 
(the Light Guards) were placed under arms in their armory at Eau Claire, in 
accordance with telegraphic orders, and held in readiness to start for Superior till 10 
o'clock that night, when they were dismissed, but notified to promptly respond to a 
given signal. The needed lesson had been taught, however, for the mob element 
realized that the military authorities " meant business," and Tuesday was spent by the 
troops in the comparatively simple duty of protecting laborers and standing ready to 
quell any riotous proceedings. Most of Wednesday passed in much the same way. 
It had become evident that much of the riot spirit had been subdued, and the troops 
departed for home on the afternoon train of that day. 

The second active duty for Company E was in the summer of 1 894. At 1 2:20 a. m., 
July 9, 1894, Captain Ballard received the following dispatch from Adjutant-General 
Ealk : 

Milwaukee, Wis., July 8, 1894, 11:40 p. m. 
Captain J. M. Ballard, 

Commanding Company E, Third Infantry IV. N. G., Eau Claire, Wis. 
Assemble your command at armory immediately, equipped for the field with two (2) 
days' rations. Take all ammunition on hand. Will probably require your service in the 
morning. Expect Colonel Moore to be in Eau Claire to-morrow morning. Will wire further 
instructions later. Answer at once. (Signed) Falk, 

Adjutant- General. 

Immediately upon the receipt of this order Captain Ballard communicated with 
his First and Second Lieutenants, and ordered them to notify each non-commissioned 
officer to report to him at once at the armory with his squad. At 2:15 A. m. he 
instructed the First Sergeant to fall the company in and call the roll. There was 
found to be fifty-seven officers and enlisted men in the ranks present for duty. The 



152 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

company remained constantly in the armory ready to respond to all orders, and had a 
regular tour of duty. Guard mount at 8 a. m., drill at 9 a. m. and 3 p. m., and dress 
parade at 7:30 p. M. daily, from the time it assembled at 2:15 July 9, until 8 p. M. July 
1 1, 1894, when the company was dismissed. 

Company E's rifle team won the first place in the National Guard of Wisconsin 
at Camp Douglas in 1890, and in 1891, in competition with all the other teams in the 
State, won the handsome and costly trophy generously presented by Robert K. Boyd. 
In 1892 the team lost the Boyd trophy, but was a " close second." Among the best 
shots the company has had may be mentioned Captain Ballard, Privates Burns, 
Burroughs, Ray, Parkinson, Larson and Carlson, and Sergeants Wall, Cousins and 
Farr. 

Captain Joseph M. Ballard was commissioned as Captain April 15, 1890, being 
promoted from the First Lieutenancy, to which he had been commissioned April 20, 
1888. Captain Ballard is an old Guardsman, and was formerly an officer of Company 
E, Second Regiment, of Massachusetts. First Lieutenant Thomas P. Cochrane was 
commissioned as such March 19, 1891, having risen from the ranks, and having been 
promoted from the position of First Sergeant and commissioned as Second Lieutenant 
September 25, 1890. 

Second Lieutenant Samuel F. Crabbe was commissioned from the position of 
First Sergeant March 19, 1891, having risen from the ranks through the subordinate 
grades. 



COMPANY F, PORTAGE. 

On June 23, 1877, the Guppy Guard, of Portage, was organized. A. H. Russell, 
M. S. Goss and G. S. Race were commissioned officers August 2, 1878. In the 
inspection of 1878 the company mustered fifty men, clothed in a gray uniform, with 
gold lace edgings. October 20, 1879, the company lost its armory by fire, and in 
consequence the company became for a time somewhat demoralized, but the men soon 
showed a determination to bring the company up to its former excellence. May 26, 
1 88 1, the company was assigned to the old Fourth Battalion. J. C. Britt, H. W. 
Orthman and J. B. Mills were then its commissioned officers. Lieutenant Mills 
subsequently became Quartermaster-Sergeant of the battalion. When the battalion 
was disbanded, the Guppy Guard was assigned to the Third Regiment as Company 
F. Its officers at that time were: Captain, Volney F. Brewer; Lieutenants, George 
C. Carnagie and James Older. In 1889 Lieutenant Carnagie became Captain, and 
George Voertman Second Lieutenant. In 1889 the company ranked eleventh, the 



THE THIRD REGIMENT. 



153 



second highest place in the regiment, but the next year 
fell to twenty-seventh place. The next year it rose to 
thirteenth, and lost but one place the next year. The pres- 
ent officers of the company are: Captain, George C. Car- 
nagie ; First Lieutenant, Robert Buglass ; Second Lieuten- 
ant, Hal S. Rockwood. 



COMPANY G, WAUSAU. 

\ This company was organized December 10, 18S2, with 

J. D. Womer Captain, his Lieutenants being O. Holway 
and L. F. Sandry. Captain Womer was succeeded in 1887 
by Orlando Holway, who resigned a year later to become 
Regimental Adjutant, his successor being L. R. Bellis, the present Captain. Company 
G won the first prize for infantry in the drilling contest at Chicago in 1887. Com- 
pany G also won the regimental drill banner in Chippewa Falls in [885, and again 
at Wausau in 1886. The company won the State shooting banner in 1892, but lost 
it in 1893. The best shots in the company are considered to be Lieutenant Abra- 
ham, Sergeant Steltz, Privates O. Lilinquist, \V. Hett, W. Koppe and W. McEwen. 




Captain Charles F. King. 



COMPANY H. MENOMONIE. 



This company was organized in 1876 as a troop of cavalry, under the name of 
Ludington Guards. In 1883 the company was transferred to the infantry branch. 
T. J. George, at present one of the Majors of the Third, was the first Captain. His 
Lieutenants were Simon Murrogg and William Young. In [883 Captain George was 
succeeded by Captain George Brewer, who was followed 
by the present commander, Captain Haugen. The com- 
pany has been under arms several times, mostly on ac- 
count of Indian troubles. Captain Haugen and Lieutenant 
Ohnstad are considered the best shots in the company. 



COMPANY I. SPARTA. 



This company was organized April 18, 1883, as the 
Sparta Cadets, under Captain John J. Esch. It attended 




Cai't. Edward II. Grannis. 



ASST. SURGEON 



BO REGIMENT. 



154 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



the encampment of the Third Infantry at Sparta in 1883 as an independent company, 
and was mustered into the State service September 28, 1883, by Major J. W. Curran, 
with sixty-five members, Captain, John J. Esch ; First Lieutenant, Frank F. Oster, 
and Second Lieutenant, Isaac D. Bleecher. The various Captains since then are 
David W. Cheney, Timothy O. Thorbus, Bertram O. Raymond and John H. Saxe. 
The present strength of the company is fifty. The officers of the civil organization 
are : John H. Saxe, Presi- 
dent ; William II. Van 
Antwerp, Secretary ; Fred. 
M. Foster, Treasurer; 
Executive Committee, J. 
H. Saxe, W. H. Van Ant- 
werp, F. M. Foster, W. M. 
Noble. The company 
was unfortunate in being 
burned out three times, 
once in their armory in 
Ida Hall, losing every- 
thing they possessed, in- 
cluding a new set of lock- 
ers ; the second time in 
their quarters in the Ex- 
celsior Rink, again losing 
everything. In the third 
fire they were more fortu- 
nate, saving all the prop- 
erty. They secured tem- 
porary quarters, and by 
the efforts of the members 
and of prominent business men of the city, who subscribed for stock, the Sparta 
Armory Association was formed, and the present armory was built in 1890 at 
a cost of $8,000. The drill floor is 70 x 100 feet, officers' room at right of entrance 
( 1 S x 24), with twelve lockers in antique oak finish and French gilt trimmings. There 
is a gallery with a seating capacity of 300, a stage with handsome scenery, electric 
lights, and a seating capacity in the whole hall for 1,000 people. 

The company has a rifle range two miles from the city, with pit and revolving 
target, with ample distance for firing up to 1,000 yards. This company was among 
the first to become enthusiastic over target practice, and furnished three men on the 




ARMORY CO. I. THIRD REGIMENT, SPARTA. 



THE THIRD REGIMENT. 155 

State team at the Fort Snelling competition of 1887. This year at the encampment of 
the Third Infantry, they led in company volley firing at 600 yards. The company 
has never been ordered out on active service. 



COMPANY K. TOMAH- 

The Tomah Guards were organized May 28, 1884. George Graham, one of the 
founders of the Military Reservation at Camp Douglas, and the present Inspector of 
Small Arms Practice of the regiment, was its first Captain. His Lieutenants were 
Charles K. Erwin and John F. Richards. In 1886 Louis Schalle and Hubert D. 
Powers became the Lieutenants. Randolph A. Richards, now the second Captain in 
seniority in the regiment, was commissioned Captain of Company K December 14, 
1888, and human C. Warriner succeeded Lieutenant Powers. Two men from Com- 
pany K took part in the rifle competition at Camp Philip Reade, Sergeant Warren 
and Corporal Erwin, and in the officers' competition Lieutenant Richards secured 
sixth place. In 1890 the company numbered fifty-one men. It was twenty-third and 
twenty-sixth respectively in the inspections of 1889 and 1890, twenty-fifth the next 
year, but in 1892 made a jump to thirteenth place. Two members of Company K 
became sharpshooters in 1891, Lieutenant Warren taking second place, and Sergeant 
Erwin eighteenth. That year also Private Kuchuck graduated as a marksman. The 
present officers of the company are : Captain, Randolph A. Richards ; First Lieu- 
tenant, Louis Schalle ; Second Lieutenant, W. W. Warren. The company on July 1, 
1894, numbered fifty-six officers and men, of whom fifty-two attended camp this year. 



COMPANY L, EAU CLAIRE. 

This company was organized December 19, 1883, and was mustered into the 
service June 17, 1884, as Company C, Third Infantry. The Captain then was Victor 
Wolf, who commanded Company C, of the Eighth Wisconsin, or better known as 
Eagle Company, as it was this company that brought " Old Abe " from there. After 
two and one-half years' service, through some trouble in the company, General Chap- 
man suspended it. Captain Wolf went out and John Beisang was elected Captain. 
The company remained out of service, but kept up the organization for two years, 
and was again mustered in May 13, 1889, as Company L, Third Infantry. During 
the two years out of service the company built an armory worth Si 2,000, which was 
destroyed by fire December 31, 1889. The company at once secured grounds, and 
got a first-class location, and built the present armory, which is 72 feet front by 186 



156 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 




feet deep, three stories 
high, with a drill hall of 
70 x 1 20 feet, and cost 
$25,000. The first and 
second stories are used 
by the company. The 
present officers are: 
Captain, C. Schlosser ; 
First Lieutenant, ( >. If.- 
Kitzman ; Second Lieu- 
tenant, Peter Schlosser. 
Company L was un- 
der arms July 9, 10 and 
11, 1 894, by order of 
Governor Peck, awaiting 
orders to go to Spooner 
on account of the rail- 
way strikes. In the last 
muster the strength of 
the company was given 
as fifty-seven officers and 
men. 



ARMORY CO. L. THIRD REGIMENT, EAT CLAIRE. 



COMPANY M, LA CROSSE. 



There are but few cities outside of Milwaukee that boast of more than one 
National Guard company, but La Crosse is one of them. It has Company B and 
Company M of the Third Regiment. The latter was organized as an independent 
company in 1889, and mustered into the State service as a provisional company the 
following year. The year following it was attached to the Third Regiment. Orlando 
J. Holway was the first Captain, with J. J. Esch and Dan S. McArthur as the Lieu- 
tenants. The company has a most excellent armory, 200 x 80 feet, in a serviceable 
location. The company boasts of a number of very good shots, among whom may be 
mentioned Sergeant Kleeber, Corporal F. H. Fowler, Sergeant Jarvis and Private 
Nold. The present officers of the company are : Captain, Burt C. Smith ; First Lieu- 
tenant, John P. Salzer ; Second Lieutenant, Fred. M. Foster. The present strength of 
the company is sixty officers and men. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE FOURTH REGIMENT. 




T 



'HE Fourth Battalion, out of which has grown the 
present Fourth Regiment, was organized under a gen- 
era] order issued from the Adjutant-General's office April 25, 
1SS4. There had been a Fourth Battalion some time pre- 
vious to this, but it was disbanded by this same order, and 
three of the companies, A, D and E, assigned to other battal- 
ions and helping to form regiments, while the fourth com- 
pany, C (Lake City Guard), was made an independent com- 
pany. Then, on the recommendation of a majority of their 

Captain Edward Shea. • ■ j cc <-i c i.u t> u. i- r 1 

Qu.RTERM.sTEB fourth r.giment. commissioned officers, tlic new rourth Battalion was formed 

from the Sheridan Guard, Kosciusko Guard, South Side Turner Rifles and Lincoln 
Guard. Major Mower was placed in command, and his first official action was a 
reception tendered to his officers at the Plankinton House parlors a few days later. 
The following is a list of the companies composing the new battalion, the dates of 
organization, officers and date of their rank : 

Company A, Sheridan Guard, January 23, 1869. Captain, John E. Coogan, 
March 25, [884; First Lieutenant, William J. Malone, March 25, 1884; Second Lieu- 
tenant, William H. Halsey, < )ctober 8, 1881. 

Company B, Kosciusko Guard, August 24, 1877. Captain, Francis J. Borchardt, 
August 25, 1877; First Lieutenant, Jacob Nowak, October 12, 1883; Second Lieu- 
tenant, Martin Schubert, December 30, 1881. 

Company C, South Side Turner Rifles, June 20, 1879. Captain, George P. 
Traeumer, June 5, 1879; First Lieutenant, Albert Bleuel, June 5, 1879; Second Lieu- 
tenant, Herman Kloehn, August 7, 1880. 

Company D, Lincoln Guard, May 2, 1881. Captain, II. M. Hughes, March 3, 
1883 ; First Lieutenant, C. W. G. Miller, April 29, 1881 ; Second Lieutenant, William 
Dallmann, March 3, [883. 

In the first part of May Major Mower made the following staff appointments : 
Adjutant, First Lieutenant Rollin B. Mallory ; Quartermaster, First Lieutenant Henry 



158 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



G. Rogers; Assistant Surgeon, Herman E. Hasse; Chaplain, Joseph W. Sanderson; 
Drum Major, Andrew J. Kluppak. 

( )n the evening of May 8, 1884, the officers met at the armory of Company A 
for their first instruction in battalion tactics. That year the battalion did not go to 
camp, but confined itself to a parade and march to Cold Spring Park, where the three 
regiments were assembled at the invitation of the Light Horse Squadron. The staff 
of the regiment underwent no change until March, 18S5, when Assistant Surgeon 
Hasse resigned and was succeeded by Captain Oscar W. Carlson. A few weeks 
later, April 10, the battalion suffered a loss in the death of its head, Major Mower, 
who died by his own hand at the Kirby House. The battalion, under command of 
Adjutant Mallory, acted as funeral escort. May 14, Captain Henry G. Rogers was 
commissioned Major of the battalion and Captain John E. Pennefeather as Quarter- 
master in his place. M. Almy Aldrich was commissioned a Captain and Inspector of 
Rifle Practice. On August 8 of that year the battalion paraded on the occasion of 
the funeral of General Grant. 

From August 14 to August 19, 1885, the battalion went into its first camp near 

Whitefish Bay, a few miles north of Mil- 
waukee. The camp was named " Camp 
Fairchild " in honor of General Lucius 
Fairchild. The appearance of the battalion 
was unique on parade. The field and staff 
wore full dress uniforms with plumed hel- 
mets. Company A was attired in dark blue 
double-breasted frock coats, army buttons 
set in pairs like a Brigadier-General, dark 
blue trousers and forage caps. Company 
B and Company C wore the State uniform, 
dark blue swallow tail coats, three rows of 
buttons and dark blue trousers with buff 
stripes and helmets. Company D wore the 
then regulation U. S. army uniform, full 
dress, trimmed with sky blue, and forage 
caps. This combination taken with the 
band decked in red coats, blue trousers 
and white helmets, was gay and diversified 
in the extreme but not very military. 

January 2, 1886, Major Rogers re- 




COLONEL ALBERT BLEUEL, 
FOURTH REGIMENT. 



THE FOURTH REGIMENT. 



159 



signed and was succeeded by Captain 
George P. Traeumer of Company C. Soon 
after this Adjutant Mallory tendered his 
resignation and was succeeded by Otto 
II. Falk. About this time the battalion 
rented offices in the Squadron Armory 
and to cover the cost gave an entertain- 
ment at the Academy of Music which net- 
ted over S700. 

The days soon following were of great 
moment to the Fourth Battalion, and in- 
deed to every resident of Milwaukee and 
the State. The great " May riots" were 
at hand. The cause of these troubles, the 
calling out of the troops and the rout of 
the mob, lias been described elsewhere. 
It is enough to say that the battalion com 
ported itself in a manner to reflect great 
credit on the Wisconsin National Guard 
and the City of Milwaukee. The day the 
trouble ended the men were tendered a ban- 
quet by Mr. John Plankinton, at the Plankinton House, and the next evening there was 
a celebration at the Light Horse Squadron Armory, with speeches by Governor Rusk, 
Adjutant-General Chapman, Colonel King, Major Traeumer, Captain Falk, Captain 
Borchardt and others. The following officers of the Fourth Battalion were on active 
duty during the troubles: Major Traeumer, Captain Falk, Captain Pennefeather, 
Captain F. C. Scribner, Captain M. Almy Aldrich, Captain J. E. Coogan, Captain 
Borchardt, Captain Bleuel, Captain C. W. G. Miller; First Lieutenants William 
Malone, Martin Schubert, Herman Kloehn and William Dallmann ; Second Lieu- 
tenants William McCaigue, Roman Czerwinski, Henry Hesse and Emil Wilde. 

There was no camp for the Fourth Battalion in 1886, but in September it, 
together with the Squadron and Battery, marched to the Fair grounds where there 
was a parade and inspection by Governor Rusk. That fall the battalion was supplied 
with new fatigue uniforms. 

The battalion the following year paraded on Decoration Day and the Fourth of 
July, and went into camp July 18 at National Park. The camp was named " Camp 
Chapman." The first day there were 173 men on duty, which number was slightly 




LIEI'T.-COL. H. M. SEAMAN. 
FOURTH REGIMENT. 



1G0 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



increased during the week. General Chapman was in camp most of the week and 
gave instruction to the officers. Beyond sighting and position drills nothing was done 
in the rifle practice line. 

In September the battalion gave an exhibition drill at the Exposition, and Octo- 
ber 6 took part in the parade with some companies of the Second Regiment, in honor 
of President Cleveland. There was the usual parade on Decoration Day, iSSS, and 
July 9 the battalion, accompanied by the Rusk Guard and the Cadet Light Guard, 
two independent companies, went into camp again at National Park. This camp was 
a second time named " Camp Chapman." There was battalion drill, guard mounts 
and parades, and considerable work with 
the rifle under instruction of Captain Philip 
Reade, U. S. A. General Chapman was 
also in camp the entire week as was Cap- 
tain George Graham of the Third Regi- 
ment, who was detailed as a special officer 
in charge of guard duty. The first day 
there were 164 men ready for duty, which 
at the end of the week had increased to 
213. On Governor's Day, Thursday, there 
was a review which passed off very well, 
and after this the rifle class gave an exhi- 
bition skirmish run. 

On August 24 Major Traeumer re- 
signed and was succeeded September 1 by 
Otto H. Falk. That fall there were a 
number of changes in the field and staff of 
the battalion. Captain Seaman resigned 
as Inspector of Rifle Practice and was suc- 
ceeded by Captain George H. Russell. 
Captain Seaman was then appointed Adjutant and Major Otto IL Falk was commis- 
sioned Lieutenant-Colonel. Captain Scribner resigned as Assistant Surgeon and was 
succeeded by Captain Harry E. Bradley. Captain Pennefeather resigned as Quarter- 
master and Captain Edward Shea took his place. Louis Auer, the present Quarter- 
master-General, was commissioned Major of the battalion in place of Colonel Falk, 
promoted. 

October 24, 1888, the Rusk Guard was mustered into the battalion as Company 
1'"., and seventy-seven men were sworn in. This enlargement of the battalion entitled 




MAIOK E. I. SLUPEC'KI. 
FOURTH REGIMENT. 



THE FOURTH REGIMENT. 



161 




Capt. t. k. Birkhaeuser. 

INSPECTOR S.A. P. FOURTH REGIMENT. 



the battalion to be commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel, and 
Major Falk's promotion was the result. 

Both the new Major and the new Quartermaster came 
from the ranks of the Light Horse Squadron. In the inspection 
in the spring of 1889, by companies, 280 men were present 
out of a total strength of 307. The general order of merit 
averaged 161 out of a possible 200. April 29, 1889, the 
Badger State Rifles were mustered into the State service and 
assigned to the Fourth Battalion as Company F, and the next 
day the Chapman Guard, having also been mustered in, was 
assigned to the battalion as Company G. On Washington's Birthday and Decoration 
Day the battalion paraded, and on May 1 2 there was a drill at National Park. July 2, 
1889, Captain H. E. Bradley, Assistant Surgeon of the battalion, was raised to the 
rank of Surgeon and Major. 

The regiment encamped at Camp Douglas July 8 to July 13, and, owing to the 
enforced absence of both Lieutenant-Colonel Falk and Major Auer, Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel B. F. Parker, of the Third Regiment, was placed in command. The camp was a 
most successful one for the Fourth, from every point of view. During the G. A. R. 
encampment, in 1889, the battalion marched to National Park, where it was reviewed 
by General Sherman and other distinguished visitors. In June, 1890, Inspector of 
Small Arms Practice Russell resigned and H. S. Fuller was commissioned for the 
place. In July Chaplain Titsworth resigned and was succeeded by the Rev. George 
W. Lamb. July 13 to July 20, 1890, the battalion was in camp at the military reser- 
vation. In the rifle competition that year, eleven men from the battalion became 
sharpshooters and the same number marksmen. In October the annual rifle contest 
between the companies of the battalion took place at Johnston's farm. Sergeant 
Reilly, of Company A, won the individual medal. At the close of the competition 
the range-house accidentally caught fire and was totally destroyed. 

On January 7, 1 891, Lieutenant-Colonel Falk having been appointed Quarter- 
master-General of the State, Captain Charles King was unanimously elected to fill the 
place and was commissioned, and no further changes were made in the staff. A few 
days later a banquet was tendered to General Falk, at which he was presented with a 
handsome medal. In 1891 the battalion was in camp from August 2 to August 9. 
On July 2, 1892, Colonel King sent in his resignation, which was subsequently with- 
drawn, and he commanded the battalion in camp from July 10 to July [7. An aver- 
age of but about 250 men were present, many being kept home by their employers. 
In the rifle competition two men from the Fourth headed the list. 



162 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

The resignation of Lieutenant-Colonel King was sent in the last part of July and 
Major Louis Auer was placed in command as Lieutenant-Colonel. Captains Albeit 
Bleuel and H. M. Seaman were commissioned Majors, and Captain Oscar B. Zwietusch 
Adjutant. The battalion attended the dedication of the World's Fair. November 26 
regimental headquarters were established at the Light Horse Squadron Armory. 
December 29, T. K. Birkhaeuser was commissioned Inspector of Small Arms Practice. 
On the same day a company at Bay View was mustered in the State service and 
assigned to the Fourth Regiment as Company II. Lieutenant-Colonel Auer was 
commissioned Colonel, as the battalion had now become a regiment. Major Bleuel 
became Lieutenant-Colonel and Captain Emil Wilde Major, and Dr. John R. McDill 
Captain and Assistant Surgeon. 

The appointment of Adjutant-General Doe to be Assistant Secretary of War, in 
January of this year, caused promotions all along the line. Quartermaster-General 
Falk became Adjutant-General and Colonel Louis Auer took General Falk's place. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Albert Bleuel became Colonel, Major Seaman Lieutenant-Colonel, 
and Captain Slupecki Major. Through the resignation of Major Wilde, Captain 
Zwietusch became a Major in May, 1893. Major Zwietusch, in January, will become 
Quartermaster-General of the State, for which place he has been selected by Governor- 
elect Upham. One distinguishing feature of the Fourth is that all the companies 
composing it come from one city — Milwaukee. 



COMPANY A. 



The Sheridan Guard, the oldest military company now in the service of the State, 
was organized June 15, 1869. P. H. McCauley was the first Captain, his Lieutenants 
being Richard Rooney and Patrick Connolly, Jr. The original idea was to form a 
purely Irish military company. The first public appearance of the company was a 
parade on Washington's Birthday in 1870, a ceremony which later grew to be a 
never-failing custom of the Sheridans. In the fall of the same year the company had 
its first target practice on the lake shore near St. Francis, which was continued the 
next two years at Lueddeman's farm. In the Field Day exercises in 1875 the 
Sheridans were presented with a medal by Governor Taylor, as the best drilled com- 
pany. In October of the following year, in competition at Oshkosh with many of 
the crack military companies of several Northwestern States, the Sheridans took first 
honors and carried off the silk banner. A gala day for the company was one in 
February, 1879, when General Phil. Sheridan tendered it a reception at the Plankinton 



THE FOURTH REGIMENT. 



163 



House. In the riots of 1 886 the company turned out seventy strong and was assigned 
to duty at Bay View. On the formation of the Fourth Battalion in April, 1884, the 
Sheridan Guard, being the oldest company, became Company A. 

Those who have been the Captains of Company A are : P. H. McCauley, James 
M. Reddy, John Foley, Richard Rooney, Henry W. White, W. P. O'Connor, J. E. 
Pennefeather, T. H. McGrath, J. E. Coogan, Arthur R. Hanley. 

The First Lieutenants have been : 
Patrick Connolly, Jr., William F.Kane, 
Arthur R. Hanley, James J. Ouinn, 
Henry W.White, John J. Lynch, Rich- 
ard Rooney, William J. Malone, John 
F. Manion, J. E. Pennefeather, J. E. 
Coogan. 

The Second Lieutenants have 
been: John C. Dunn, Henry W. 
White, William H. Halsey, A. J. Mc- 
Cormick, Joseph Dunn, Arthur R. 
Hanley, Patrick Connolly, Jr., M. J. 
O'Connor, John J. Lynch, James J. 
Quinn, T. H. McGrath, W. H. Per- 
thesius, T. G. Shaughnessy, John Fo- 
ley, John F. Manion, James M. Reddy, 
William McCaigue, Thos. J. Sullivan, 
W. P. O'Connor, J. E. Coogan. 

The present officers of the com- 
pany are : Captain, John F. Manion ; 

r J r > J CAPTAIN ABRAHAM B. CAMBIER. 

First Lieutenant, Thomas J. Sullivan ; adjutant fourth regiment. 

Second Lieutenant, Thomas J. Delahunt. In the inspection of 1889 the company 
stood thirteenth and the next year held the same place. The following year it rose 
to seventh, and in 1892 fell to twenty-third place. 




COMPANY B. 



The Kosciusko Guard was organized August 24, 1877. F. J. Borchardt was 
elected Captain and Jacob Nowak First Lieutenant. In December, 1878, Martin 
Zubert became Second Lieutenant. The company then was composed exclusively of 



164 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



men from Poland, and were fitted out in blue dress coats and trousers, which cost 
them $1,200. There were fifty-six men on inspection in 1878. In the report of the 
Adjutant-General for 1880, it is noted that the company attended encampment from 
fune 7 to June 12, and that it had complied with the law in all respects, a rather 
unusual compliment in those days. Peter Shubert became Second Lieutenant March 
12, 1880. In December, 1881, L. Michaelski and M.Schubert became the Lieuten- 
ants. Although two regiments and two battalions were then in existence the Kos- 
ciusko Guards remained an independent company. The company then had a strength 
of sixty-five men. When the new Fourth Battalion was formed in 1884, the Kosci- 
usko Guards became Company B, which place they held when the battalion became 
a regiment. J. Nowak became the First Lieutenant in [883. In 1885, although 
Captain Borchardt was still in command, there was another change in the officers. 
Martin Schubert became First Lieutenant and Roman Czerwinski Second Lieutenant. 
In 1888 Lucas J. Michaelski was commissioned First Lieutenant. In the rifle compe- 
tition at Camp Douglas in 1888, Private Rozanski took first place in the regiment. 
In the inspection of 1889 Company B ranked thirty-seventh; in 1 890, forty -first ; in 
1 89 1, fortieth ; and in 1892, thirty-eighth. There have been several changes in the 
officers of late years, owing to one cause and another. The present officers are : 
Captain, Thaddeus Wild ; First Lieutenant, Theophilus Knasinski ; Second Lieuten- 
ant, Emi] Czarnecki. 

COMPANY C. 




ARMORY CO. C, FOURTH REGIMENT 



Company C was organized 
June 20, 1879, as the South Side 
Turner Rifles. The name was later 
changed to South Side Rifles, and 
a few years ago to Pabst Guard. 
The first officers were : Captain, 
G. P. Traeumcr ; First Lieutenant, 
Albert Bleuel ; Second Lieutenant, 
George Schmele. The company 
numbered seventy-five men. Her- 
man Kloehn became Second Lieu- 
tenant in 1 880. The company then 
was an independent organization. 
When the Fourth Battalion was 
formed, the South Side Turner 



THE FOURTH REGIMENT. 165 

Rifles became Company C. Captain Traeumer became Major of the battalion 
January 2, 1886, and was succeeded in command of Company C by Albert Bleuel- 
Herman Kloehn became First Lieutenant and Henry Hesse, Jr., Second Lieutenant. 
Company C took an active part in the suppression of the rioters in 1886 and had 
over forty-five men in line for five days. Emil F. Deuster became Second Lieutenant 
m 1888. The present officers of the company are: Captain, Charles E. Schlenger ; 
First Lieutenant, Matt. Scholl ; Second Lieutenant, Charles Schultz. In 1889 the 
company ranked thirty-first, but rose the next year to twenty-fourth place. Next 
year it was thirty-sixth, and in 1892 twenty-seventh. 



COMPANY D. 



The Lincoln Guard was organized May 2, 188 1. August F. Dahlman was the 

first Captain and C. W. G. Miller and William Miller the Lieutenants. The company 
was an independent organization until the Fourth Battalion was formed. Lieutenant 
C. W. G. Miller became Captain in 1884, his Lieutenants being William Dahlman 
and Emil Wilde. For five days during the riots in 1886 Company D had forty men 
on duty. Lieutenant Wilde became Captain in 1888, Andrew J. Kluppak and 
Constant Rennicke being the Lieutenants. In the inspection of 1889 Company D 
took first rank in the State, but the next year fell to twenty-first place. The next year 
it was nineteenth and in 1 892 thirtieth. The present officers of the company are: 
Captain, Andrew J. Kluppak; Lieutenants, Constant Rennicke and J. Peter Immukus. 
Their commissions date from February 18, 1893. 



COMPANY E. 



Company E was organized as the Rusk Guard October 24, iSSS. Oscar B. 
Zwietusch was the first Captain and Hiram E. Manville and Charles R. Williams the 
Lieutenants. In the inspection of 1889 Company E took second place, and in 1S90 
took the highest rank in the State. The next year it was again second and in 1892 
third. Company E was mustered into the State service by Adjutant-General Chapman 
with seventy-seven men. In the battalion inspection in 1889 Company E took first 
place. In 1890 Charles R. Williams became First Lieutenant, and Frank D. Rock 
Second Lieutenant. In 1892 Captain Zwietusch became Regimental Adjutant and 
Lieutenant Rock succeeded to the command of the company. Sergeant George A. 
Burton became Second Lieutenant. In February, 1893, Lieutenant Williams was 



166 THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 

transferred to the Governor's Staff as acting ordnance officer. Walter E. Burke was 
commissioned Captain of the company June I, 1894. 



COMPANY F. 



April 29, 1889, Colonel Charles King mustered the Badger State Rifles into the 
service of the State with sixty-six men. The company was assigned to the Fourth 
Battalion as Company F. The first officers were: Captain, T. K. Birkhaeuser ; 
First Lieutenant, Harry S. Fuller ; Second Lieutenant, Edward N. Ewer. In Septem- 
ber Lieutenant Ewer resigned and was succeeded by Sergeant Charles E. Curtis. In 
June, 1890, Lieutenant Fuller became Inspector of Small Arms Practice of the Regi- 
ment, Lieutenant Curtis went up a place and Sergeant Cambier became Second 
Lieutenant. Five men from Company F became sharpshooters in 1 890. They were : 
Captain Birkhaeuser, Corporals Aldridge and Pressentin and Privates Parsons and 
Cook. Corporal Tinsler became a marksman. In September, 1891, Captain Birk- 
haeuser resigned and was succeeded by Lieutenant Curtis. A. B. Cambier became 
First Lieutenant and Clark M. Putnam Second Lieutenant. Soon afterwards, how- 
ever, Lieutenant Putnam resigned and was succeeded by Sergeant C. T. Callahan. A 
year later Captain Curtis resigned and Lieutenant Cambier became Captain, Lieuten- 
ant Callahan First Lieutenant, and Sergeant H. E. Slater Second Lieutenant. Novem- 
ber 1, 1892, Captain Cambier became Regimental Adjutant, and Lieutenant Callahan 
is now the Captain of Company F. It is a remarkable fact that two of the original 
officers of the company have been Inspectors of Small Arms Practice of the regi- 
ment — Captain Birkhaeuser and Lieutenant Fuller. In 1889 the company ranked 
third ; in 1 890 second ; in 1891 again third, and in 1892 eighteenth. 



COMPANY G. 



The Chapman Guard was mustered into the State service April 30, 1889, one 
day later than Company F. Sixty-six men were sworn in with the following officers : 
Captain, Richard E. Archer; hirst Lieutenant, Joseph P. Carney; Second Lieutenant, 
PYank A. Sullivan. November 25, 1890, Captain Archer resigned, causing the 
promotion of Lieutenants Carney and Sullivan. Sergeant Murray then became 
Second Lieutenant. In September of the following year Captain Carney resigned and 
J. J. Lynch became Captain. In June, 1892, Lieutenant Murray resigned and was 
succeeded by Joseph W. Brown. These men are now the officers of the company. 



THE FOURTH REGIMENT. 167 

In [889 the company ranked fifth in the State ; in 1890, eighth ; in 1891 , eleventh, 
and in 1892 second. 



COMPANY H- 



December 29, 1892, a company was formed at Bay View and, in honor of the 
then commander of the Fourth Regiment, was named the Auer Rifles. II. E. Ran- 
som, Martin Anderson and II. J. Kraemer were the first officers. There was a gen- 
eral change of officers in June, 1893, and the following present officers were elected : 
Captain, Martin Anderson ; First Lieutenant, Charles E. Morton ; Second Lieutenant, 
Clarence Christenson. The organization of this company made the Fourth Battalion 
a regiment. 



BATTERY A. 



The First Light Battery, or as it is now known in official papers, " Batter}' A," 
was born September 1 1, 1884, at a meeting called by A. L. Darrow and W, B. Rob- 
erts at the office of the Wisconsin Telephone Company. The twelve men present 
signed an agreement to help in organizing a battery in Milwaukee, and soon after- 
wards quarters were secured in the Sheridan Guard Armory, which was then situated 
on Milwaukee street, near the postoffice. As the membership became larger the 
quarters were found too small, and rooms were taken over the Central Police Station. 
The formal organization of the battery, however, did not take place until the spring 
of the following year. On May 1 1, 1885, sixty-five members were mustered into the 
Wisconsin National Guard by Captain Charles King. Joseph B. Oliver was elected 
Captain, and W. B. Roberts First Lieutenant. Objections were raised to the name 
First Wisconsin Battery, as an organization with a similar name had existed in 1861, 
and the name was changed to First Light Battery. Shortly after having been mus- 
tered in two six-pound brass guns and thirty-two sets of artillery harness were issued 
to the battery by the State, and drill begun on a vacant lot on Prospect avenue. The 
drills took place every Monday evening. Shortly afterwards the battery purchased 
the property known as the Farwell Avenue Skating Rink, and thus secured spacious 
and comfortable quarters. In July, 1890, this property was disposed of as there was 
a feeling that the quarters should be nearer the center of the city, and the battery 



168 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



moved into excellent quarters in the Broadway Armory. In December, 1892, their 
rooms were somewhat damaged by fire, but have now again been put in most excellent 
condition. 

At first the armament of the battery was limited to the two brass guns furnished by 
the State, but to these was subsequently added two steel guns, with rifle bore three 

inches in diameter, and in May, 
1893, the State took back the 
two old brass pieces in ex- 
change for two gatling guns. 
The battery has also been sup- 
plied with a complete outfit of 
harness, saddles, sabres, revol- 
vers and gunners' tools. 

October 3, 1889, Captain 
Oliver resigned, owing to the 
pressure of private business, 
and a few days later H. J. Gil- 
son was elected to succeed him. 
In June, 1890, Captain Gilson 
was succeeded by H. M. Ken- 
ney, who served until October 
30, 1 89 1, and was then suc- 
ceeded by H. W. Ellis, who, 
with First Lieutenants B. H. 
Dally and Thomas F. Neville, 
and Second Lieutenant Adolph 
S. Hosch, are the present com- 
missioned officers of the or- 
ganization. The first public 
appearance of the battery was 
in the parade the day of the funeral of General Grant. During the riots of 1886 the 
battery was also called out and their conduct was such as to provoke warm praise 
from the officers in command. A platoon of the battery took part in a competitive 
drill during the National Military Encampment at Washington in 1877, and although 
it carried off no prize, still received considerable praise for its work. In Chicago, in 
the following October, the battery was more successful in the competition there, 
securing the first platoon prize, the first and second section prizes and individual 




CAPTAIN HARRY EI. LIS, BATTERY A. 



THE FOURTH REGIMENT. 



169 



medals. The battery went into camp at Oconto August 10, 1890, and at Marinette 
the last week in August, 1891. Since that year it has gone to the military reservation 
near Camp Douglas a week every year. 

The social side of the battery is represented by the organization known as the 
Battery Bucks which, with the exception of about thirty honorary members, is com- 
posed exclusively of men belonging to the battery. The Bucks are a secret organi- 
zation whose object is to cultivate good fellowship among the members of the battery, 
and it seems to accomplish its purpose. The Bucks have a Chief Buck, a Financial 
Buck and other appropriate officers, and hold frequent sessions. 



TROOP A. 



The Light Horse Squadron was mustered into the service of the State April 27, 
1880, by General Edward E. Bryant, Adjutant-General of Wisconsin. The troop 
originated through the desire of a number of gentlemen, among whom were many 
veterans of the rebellion, to organize a body of cavalry for escort duty during the re- 
union of the Wisconsin Veterans, about to be held at Milwaukee, but the gentlemen 
were so in love with the work that they decided 
to incorporate into the National Guard of the 
State, and after due legal application the result 
was accomplished. 

The first officers were : Captain, Robert Hill ; 
First Lieutenant, Albert Blatz ; Second Lieuten- 
ant, George W. Peck ; F'irst Sergeant, George O. 
Clinton. 

In December, 1880, Captain Hill, on account 
of removal to Chicago, resigned his commission 
and was succeeded by Captain W. O. Collins, with 
George W. Peck First Lieutenant, and George J. 
Schoeffel Second Lieutenant. In August, 1882, 
George J. Schoeffel was elected Captain after the 
resignation of Captain Collins. During the com- 
petition drill at Milwaukee the squadron took first 
prize as the best troop of cavalry. During the 
year 1884, in June, the troop visited the military captain John g. salsuan, troop a. 




170 



THE WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD. 



encampment and competition drill at Dubuque, la., at which were present not only the 
most prominent organizations of the National Guard of the country, but also Regular 
troops, but not in competition, and the troop took the first cavalry prize, defeating the 
cavalry from St. Louis. During the year 1885 the troop began the erection of its 
armory, the corner-stone of which was laid August 15, 1885. In October, 1887, the 
troop attended the military encampment and competition drill at Chicago, taking first 
cavalry honors, defeating the Cleveland City Troop. 

In November, 1887, on the resignation of Captain Schoeffel he was succeeded by 
C. P. Huntington. W. A. Nowell became First Lieutenant, and Rudolph G. Richter 
Second Lieutenant. During August, 1888, the troop marched across the country to 




TROOP A PREPARING FOR DRILL. 



Ripon, Wis., 120 miles in 4 days. November 6, 1889, on the resignation of Captain 
Huntington, W. J. Grant was commissioned Captain, with John G. Salsman as First 
Lieutenant, and Clifford Chase Second Lieutenant. Under Captain Grant, in October, 
1892, the troop took part in the dedication of the World's Fair, marching to Chicago 
in three days, a distance, to Jackson Park, the camp ground, of about 100 miles. 

December 7, 1892,011 the resignation of Captain Grant, John G. Salsman was 
commissioned Captain with W. H. Halsey First Lieutenant, and Philip C. Norton 
Second Lieutenant. At an election recently held, Captain Salsman resigned and W. 
J. Grant was again elected to command the troop. 

In 1886 Troop A built on Broadway its new armory, which at the present time 
not only shelters it and Battery A, but also a number of the companies of the Fourth 



THE FOURTH REGIMENT. 



171 



Regiment. Adjutant-General Chapman, in 1887, said : " The money value to the State 
of the use of the building during the riots in May last can hardly be overestimated." 
The building is complete in every way and admirably serves the purpose for which it 
was designed. 

In 1882 the troop went into camp at Oconomowoc, from August 4 to August 9, 
and in 1883 and 1S85 at the same place from August 1 to August 6, and from August 
14 to August 19, and again in 1891 from August 10 to August 15. In 1893 the 
troop encamped with Battery A and the Fourth Regiment at the military reservation, 
as it did in 1894. 




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